Summary of Simon Winchester's Krakatoa

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The original holy trinity of the Asian spice trade was pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Pepper was used extensively by the Romans, and was the primary ingredient in their cuisine. #2 The Romans used coins denominated in Pepper, but they were actually paid out in large numbers. The cost of pepper was so high and so much in demand that the Romans had to drain their empire of fifty million sesterces each year. #3 Pliny the Elder, a Roman official, was sent to investigate piracy in the Bay of Naples in AD 79. He died of asphyxiation by volcanic gases on 24 August, leaving behind him a vast reputation and a single word in the lexicon of modern vulcanology: Plinian. #4 Pepper was used as a preservative and seasoning. It was imported into England in the tenth century, and the Guild of Peppers was established in London in 1180.