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Year Without Summer: A History from Beginning to End
Discover the remarkable history of the Year Without Summer...
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In terms of world history, the year 1815 is mainly remembered for the final defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo. But something else happened that year which is now largely forgotten but which had a fundamental impact on the whole world in the years that followed.
In April 1815, a volcano erupted on the island of Sumbawa in present-day Indonesia. The eruption itself was so powerful that it was audible thousands of miles away. The immediate area suffered from tsunamis, ash, and acid rainfall, while a cloud of gas and dust entered the upper atmosphere and blocked the full power of the sun from warming the Earth. As a direct result, the summer of 1816 was truly dismal. Crops failed across the Northern Hemisphere, leading to this year becoming known as the Year Without Summer. Crop failures caused famine, the spread of epidemics, mass migration on a level rarely seen before, and the complete breakdown of some cultures.
If we seek to understand what impact climate change may have, we need only look back to the devastating Year Without Summer.
Discover a plethora of topics such asThe Eruption of Mount TamboraImmediate ImpactWinter of 1815/1816A Summer Without Sun1816 in Popular CultureCould It Happen Again?And much more!
So if you want a concise and informative book on the Year Without Summer, simply scroll up and click the "Buy now" button for instant access!
Free BONUS Inside!
In terms of world history, the year 1815 is mainly remembered for the final defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo. But something else happened that year which is now largely forgotten but which had a fundamental impact on the whole world in the years that followed.
In April 1815, a volcano erupted on the island of Sumbawa in present-day Indonesia. The eruption itself was so powerful that it was audible thousands of miles away. The immediate area suffered from tsunamis, ash, and acid rainfall, while a cloud of gas and dust entered the upper atmosphere and blocked the full power of the sun from warming the Earth. As a direct result, the summer of 1816 was truly dismal. Crops failed across the Northern Hemisphere, leading to this year becoming known as the Year Without Summer. Crop failures caused famine, the spread of epidemics, mass migration on a level rarely seen before, and the complete breakdown of some cultures.
If we seek to understand what impact climate change may have, we need only look back to the devastating Year Without Summer.
Discover a plethora of topics such asThe Eruption of Mount TamboraImmediate ImpactWinter of 1815/1816A Summer Without Sun1816 in Popular CultureCould It Happen Again?And much more!
So if you want a concise and informative book on the Year Without Summer, simply scroll up and click the "Buy now" button for instant access!
61 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 8, 2024
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41 people want to read
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Hourly History
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 15, 2025
A Tantalizing Brief History
For lovers of cause and effect, this book was a true treasure. The authors rich verbal images enhance their examples of the mayhem this volcanic eruption caused. And it’s a clear reminder that global warming no matter the cause has worldwide repercussions. Great read!
For lovers of cause and effect, this book was a true treasure. The authors rich verbal images enhance their examples of the mayhem this volcanic eruption caused. And it’s a clear reminder that global warming no matter the cause has worldwide repercussions. Great read!
January 3, 2025
Good read
Yikes. I actually had no idea what this was about but it was really interesting. Who new a volcano could affect the lives of so many people this harshly.
Yikes. I actually had no idea what this was about but it was really interesting. Who new a volcano could affect the lives of so many people this harshly.
July 28, 2024
1816 es un año que nos recuerda lo terriblemente frágil que es el equilibrio del mundo en el que vivimos y lo mortal que puede resultar para muchos de nosotros un pequeño cambio que puede pasar desapercibido para todos, pero cuyas consecuencias son trágicas.
En 1815, un año antes, los periódicos de Europa y el mundo apenas mencionaron un hecho ocurrido en las llamadas Indias Holandesas, ahora Indonesia: el volcán Tambora erupcionó de forma dramática en el mes de abril, creando una devastación monstruosa en toda el área. El mundo aún no lo sabía, pero esa erupción crearía el año siguiente un desastre a nivel planetario, que acabó en un horrorosa hambruna en Europa y en un año donde no hubo verano: el cuatro de julio, helaba y caía nieve. En China ocurría lo mismo y las cosechas morían dejando a la población sin alimentos, en América también se dejaron sentir los efectos en un invierno inverosímil.
Este libro explica cómo se dio este extraño fenómeno que creó un invierno "atómico" sobre todo el mundo, las millones de víctimas de ello y la posibilidad de que pueda volver a ocurrir.
En 1815, un año antes, los periódicos de Europa y el mundo apenas mencionaron un hecho ocurrido en las llamadas Indias Holandesas, ahora Indonesia: el volcán Tambora erupcionó de forma dramática en el mes de abril, creando una devastación monstruosa en toda el área. El mundo aún no lo sabía, pero esa erupción crearía el año siguiente un desastre a nivel planetario, que acabó en un horrorosa hambruna en Europa y en un año donde no hubo verano: el cuatro de julio, helaba y caía nieve. En China ocurría lo mismo y las cosechas morían dejando a la población sin alimentos, en América también se dejaron sentir los efectos en un invierno inverosímil.
Este libro explica cómo se dio este extraño fenómeno que creó un invierno "atómico" sobre todo el mundo, las millones de víctimas de ello y la posibilidad de que pueda volver a ocurrir.
November 30, 2025
I recently discovered the Hourly History collection (https://hourlyhistory.com).
These short books cover historical events and historical figures in a concise, easy-to-read format — perfect when you want to learn something meaningful in under an hour.
The book “The Year Without Summer” fits perfectly into this concept. In a single sitting, it gives a vivid and surprisingly rich overview of how one massive volcanic eruption reshaped the entire world. Despite its brevity, the book manages to capture the essence of the global climate anomaly of 1816 — failed harvests across Europe, social unrest, migration, economic collapse.
So, “Year Without Summer” is really one of those books that make you stop and think about how one massive volcanic eruption somewhere far away can turn the whole world upside down. Besides vividly showing that strange moment when Europe suddenly had no summer, harvests failed, and social structures started to wobble, the book also explains how those very events sparked new artistic works and fresh ideas.
For example, suddenly you get those unusual red sunsets in paintings, and writers stuck indoors end up creating early vampire stories and Frankenstein. Meanwhile, in China ruling dynasty collapsed.
All in all, if you enjoy that feeling when history becomes alive and you can see how one unusual natural event can trigger a whole chain reaction of ideas and happenings, this is a book you’ll genuinely enjoy. And it’s written in a way that really broadens your perspective — the kind of read that pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee.
It’s a quick but rewarding read, the kind that gives you an instant “aha!” moment about how one unusual natural event can trigger a chain reaction across science, politics, art, and everyday life.
My assessment of “The Year Without Summer” by Hourly History based on my 8-criteria scale:
Related to practical insights – 4 stars
Important and relevant topic – 4 stars
Alignment with my view – 3 stars
Easy to read (even for non-native English readers) – 5 stars
Short and concise (150–200 pages) – 5 stars
Not boring – every sentence engaging – 3 stars
Learning opportunity – 5 stars
Writing style (smooth, engaging, with some lighter touches) – 3 stars
Total score: 4 stars
Just like the best Hourly History titles, this one shows how a single event can ripple through the world. The eruption caused climate chaos, economic damage, food shortages, and forced adaptations — but it also sparked creativity, scientific curiosity, and lasting cultural contributions.
If you enjoy compact, insightful historical snapshots that you can finish over a coffee break, this book is a great pick.
These short books cover historical events and historical figures in a concise, easy-to-read format — perfect when you want to learn something meaningful in under an hour.
The book “The Year Without Summer” fits perfectly into this concept. In a single sitting, it gives a vivid and surprisingly rich overview of how one massive volcanic eruption reshaped the entire world. Despite its brevity, the book manages to capture the essence of the global climate anomaly of 1816 — failed harvests across Europe, social unrest, migration, economic collapse.
So, “Year Without Summer” is really one of those books that make you stop and think about how one massive volcanic eruption somewhere far away can turn the whole world upside down. Besides vividly showing that strange moment when Europe suddenly had no summer, harvests failed, and social structures started to wobble, the book also explains how those very events sparked new artistic works and fresh ideas.
For example, suddenly you get those unusual red sunsets in paintings, and writers stuck indoors end up creating early vampire stories and Frankenstein. Meanwhile, in China ruling dynasty collapsed.
All in all, if you enjoy that feeling when history becomes alive and you can see how one unusual natural event can trigger a whole chain reaction of ideas and happenings, this is a book you’ll genuinely enjoy. And it’s written in a way that really broadens your perspective — the kind of read that pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee.
It’s a quick but rewarding read, the kind that gives you an instant “aha!” moment about how one unusual natural event can trigger a chain reaction across science, politics, art, and everyday life.
My assessment of “The Year Without Summer” by Hourly History based on my 8-criteria scale:
Related to practical insights – 4 stars
Important and relevant topic – 4 stars
Alignment with my view – 3 stars
Easy to read (even for non-native English readers) – 5 stars
Short and concise (150–200 pages) – 5 stars
Not boring – every sentence engaging – 3 stars
Learning opportunity – 5 stars
Writing style (smooth, engaging, with some lighter touches) – 3 stars
Total score: 4 stars
Just like the best Hourly History titles, this one shows how a single event can ripple through the world. The eruption caused climate chaos, economic damage, food shortages, and forced adaptations — but it also sparked creativity, scientific curiosity, and lasting cultural contributions.
If you enjoy compact, insightful historical snapshots that you can finish over a coffee break, this book is a great pick.
December 23, 2024
Published in July of 2024 by Hourly History.
In April of 1815, a volcano called Mount Tambora on an island in Indonesia erupted in a massive explosion. It was one of the largest explosions in human history. It obliterated most of the volcano, buried nearby villages and causes tsunamis. There were more eruptions that followed. It was a massive local problem, but the rest of the world had no idea it had even happened.
But, the rest of the world soon was affected by these explosions. Debris from the explosion got into the stratosphere and spread all around the world. There was so much ash in the upper atmosphere that 1816 became known as "The Year Without a Summer."
This short e-book details some of the results, including snowfalls well into what are popularly regarded as summer months in regions of North America that rarely see snowfall after March. There were crop failures across North America, Europe, and Asia and political instability soon followed, especially in the Old World with its larger, more densely crowded populations.
The cold conditions were less strong in North America the further one got from the Atlantic Ocean. It served as an inducement to to increase the population shifts towards the Western frontier (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois.)
I enjoyed this short history, even if I think it overplayed the long-term consequences, projecting them out decades afterwards in Europe.
I rate this e-book 4 stars out of 5.
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2024...
In April of 1815, a volcano called Mount Tambora on an island in Indonesia erupted in a massive explosion. It was one of the largest explosions in human history. It obliterated most of the volcano, buried nearby villages and causes tsunamis. There were more eruptions that followed. It was a massive local problem, but the rest of the world had no idea it had even happened.
But, the rest of the world soon was affected by these explosions. Debris from the explosion got into the stratosphere and spread all around the world. There was so much ash in the upper atmosphere that 1816 became known as "The Year Without a Summer."
This short e-book details some of the results, including snowfalls well into what are popularly regarded as summer months in regions of North America that rarely see snowfall after March. There were crop failures across North America, Europe, and Asia and political instability soon followed, especially in the Old World with its larger, more densely crowded populations.
The cold conditions were less strong in North America the further one got from the Atlantic Ocean. It served as an inducement to to increase the population shifts towards the Western frontier (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois.)
I enjoyed this short history, even if I think it overplayed the long-term consequences, projecting them out decades afterwards in Europe.
I rate this e-book 4 stars out of 5.
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2024...
July 14, 2024
This story is fascinating; it's the story of the 1815-16 climate change caused by a volcano. An extinct volcano at Tambora (in Sumbawa, Indonesia) erupted on April 5, 1815, and continued for five days. It deposited over four feet of dust and ash and killed animals, plants, and people. In the ensuing months, another 38,000 people died of starvation.
However, this was just the beginning of the tragedy. In 1815, the war with Napoleon had finally ended, and European countries were decimated and their food stores depleted (with feeding the standing armies). The weather changed when dust, gas, and debris moved into the upper atmosphere (because of the volcano thousands of miles away). The winter of 1815-16 was milder, with bizarre snowfall.
However, the growing season staggered the population. After a volcanic winter, the Earth cooled and could not support spring or summer crops. The ensuing chapters discussed the climate changes on various continents and their effects on the populations of those lands. This was a fascinating read.
One of the last chapters discussed cultural changes after the volcano. Finally, the author asks if this volcanic event could happen again. Don't miss this book.
However, this was just the beginning of the tragedy. In 1815, the war with Napoleon had finally ended, and European countries were decimated and their food stores depleted (with feeding the standing armies). The weather changed when dust, gas, and debris moved into the upper atmosphere (because of the volcano thousands of miles away). The winter of 1815-16 was milder, with bizarre snowfall.
However, the growing season staggered the population. After a volcanic winter, the Earth cooled and could not support spring or summer crops. The ensuing chapters discussed the climate changes on various continents and their effects on the populations of those lands. This was a fascinating read.
One of the last chapters discussed cultural changes after the volcano. Finally, the author asks if this volcanic event could happen again. Don't miss this book.
December 6, 2024
This book jogged my memory as to which volcano contributed to the "year without summer." I had mistakenly associated this event with the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in 1883. However, glad I was corrected after reading the book and re-discovering that it was the Mount Tambora volcanic eruption of 1815 which resulted in the year without summer.
It was interesting to note it took a couple of years after the explosion for the earth's climate to cool due to the way aerosols and particulates from the volcano to dispersed around the globe. It was also interesting to see the possible influence the year without a summer had on literature and art. I am not going to give a spoiler how this happened because you should really read this short book and discover how this volcanic explosion impacted societies around the world.
It was interesting to note it took a couple of years after the explosion for the earth's climate to cool due to the way aerosols and particulates from the volcano to dispersed around the globe. It was also interesting to see the possible influence the year without a summer had on literature and art. I am not going to give a spoiler how this happened because you should really read this short book and discover how this volcanic explosion impacted societies around the world.
July 14, 2024
Here's an obscure story of how 1 massive Volcanic eruption changed the sociopolitical face of the e
Did anyone ever hear of Mt. Tambura? Of its eruption in 1815? Me neither.
In truth this book informs us how an eruption in Indonesia affected the weather in the northern hemisphere to such an effect it devastated harvests. This in turn led to starvation and riots. Ultimately the various people became disenchanted with their leaders and style of government that they led to the demise of absolute monarchies in Europe and even the fall of the Quin dynasty in China.
Did anyone ever hear of Mt. Tambura? Of its eruption in 1815? Me neither.
In truth this book informs us how an eruption in Indonesia affected the weather in the northern hemisphere to such an effect it devastated harvests. This in turn led to starvation and riots. Ultimately the various people became disenchanted with their leaders and style of government that they led to the demise of absolute monarchies in Europe and even the fall of the Quin dynasty in China.
July 18, 2024
Doom, doom, and more doom:
It raised many connections that I had not thought about. War of 1812, Napoleon Wars, and the first world plague.
I’m not sure when the conclusion was written but we have made gain advance warning systems. Tsunami and eruption detection now allow for advance warning and evacuation.
Darkening skies will play with the solar grid. Hydroponic gardens will help with food storage.
Our homes are better insulated against winters.
Communication is almost immediate.
It raised many connections that I had not thought about. War of 1812, Napoleon Wars, and the first world plague.
I’m not sure when the conclusion was written but we have made gain advance warning systems. Tsunami and eruption detection now allow for advance warning and evacuation.
Darkening skies will play with the solar grid. Hydroponic gardens will help with food storage.
Our homes are better insulated against winters.
Communication is almost immediate.
July 15, 2024
I'm a big fan of an Hourly History book series but this one is a major disappointment.
Every single word is important in a study as short as this one, or a lack of one.
When it comes to the history of North America a simple statement that the West and Middle-West were some unexplored lands in the 19th century is just untrue.
With such a crude generalization of facts, it becomes Hourly Propaganda instead of Hourly History.
But the subject by itself is fascinating.
Every single word is important in a study as short as this one, or a lack of one.
When it comes to the history of North America a simple statement that the West and Middle-West were some unexplored lands in the 19th century is just untrue.
With such a crude generalization of facts, it becomes Hourly Propaganda instead of Hourly History.
But the subject by itself is fascinating.
December 26, 2025
Amazingly good account of history
Excellent discussion of the social, political and weather upheavals that followed the eruption of Mt. Tambora. Importantly, it explains why the people who settled the Eastern USA moved West and why the dust bowl and the corn belt are the same place... which I had never understood.
Excellent discussion of the social, political and weather upheavals that followed the eruption of Mt. Tambora. Importantly, it explains why the people who settled the Eastern USA moved West and why the dust bowl and the corn belt are the same place... which I had never understood.
December 27, 2025
Year Without a Summer is about Tambora, a volcano that erupted in 1815. The following year, instead of a normal summer in the northern hemisphere, temperatures were below average, with snow, freezing temperatures and unusual spots on the sun. Though this was interesting, it was not edited very well.
#offypurshelf
#offypurshelf
July 23, 2024
Year Without Summer: A History from Beginning To End
A summary of the history in the past, I would recommend this book for others to read and reflect on the past and where we come from!
A summary of the history in the past, I would recommend this book for others to read and reflect on the past and where we come from!
August 30, 2024
Hourly History is a great series - happenings broken into bite-sized pieces, easy to read and wonderfully concise. This one is no exception. It's amazing the ripples of one volcanic eruption created.
November 18, 2024
Quick and fascinating read on explosive effects of a volcano
This brief history of the explosive effects of My Tambora shows the social and political effects around the world of the climate change that occurred as a result of such an earthly explosion. A good, quick read.
This brief history of the explosive effects of My Tambora shows the social and political effects around the world of the climate change that occurred as a result of such an earthly explosion. A good, quick read.
January 24, 2025
Climate change?
Maybe all those people who believe in climate change should read this book. After all They are predictions since the 1970's have not come true Interesting alternative Mark!
Maybe all those people who believe in climate change should read this book. After all They are predictions since the 1970's have not come true Interesting alternative Mark!
January 21, 2026
A part of history too often overlooked
While I've read a lot about the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, I have not read of a connection to climate change caused by volcanic activity until now. Thank you for the information.
While I've read a lot about the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, I have not read of a connection to climate change caused by volcanic activity until now. Thank you for the information.
July 27, 2024
informative
Learned something I knew nothing about. Tile in an informative and concise manner. A quick read with lots of good information.
Learned something I knew nothing about. Tile in an informative and concise manner. A quick read with lots of good information.
August 12, 2024
Good overview
Good overview of an important, but overlooked part of history. Amazing how one event could drastically affect the entire world for years.
Good overview of an important, but overlooked part of history. Amazing how one event could drastically affect the entire world for years.
September 1, 2024
Very Informative
Once again, I've enjoyed getting a look at how a fascinating event on history shaped the world I live in today.
Once again, I've enjoyed getting a look at how a fascinating event on history shaped the world I live in today.
May 30, 2025
Kindle
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews