The spectacular story of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the Western Hemisphere: the 1902 volcano that destroyed St Pierre on the island of Martinique. This book reveals the story of a city engulfed in flames and plunged into terrifying darkness.

The authors have researched numerous archives around the world to assemble a fascinating account of the eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902, which destroyed the city of St. Pierre on the island of Martinique. This book is a day-by-day account of the chain of events leading to the disaster, covering May 2nd to May 8th. It not only covers the eruption itself, but related events such as a flood of mud that destroys a sugar factory, a prison riot, and a voodoo uprising. It shows the short-sightedness of those in charge due to politics of an upcoming election. This tragedy could have been much less severe in terms of loss of life if action had been taken sooner.

The authors employ the technique of weaving together individual stories with descriptions of the bigger picture. The narrative is strictly a historical account and is light on scientific explanations, but it is very readable and flows nicely.