Krakatau is the eyewitness account of the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa (Krakatau) in Indonesia (then the Dutch East Indies). It was written by the Dutch geologist Rogier Verbeek who had done research in the area in the years prior to the eruption and who witnessed it from his home in Buitenzorg (now Bogor) in Java.

The eruption was one of the deadliest and most destructive events in recorded history and the explosion could be heard almost 2,000 miles away. Such was the ferocity of the volcano that the sound waves from the explosion travelled around the world seven times. Ash from the eruption was present in the Earth’s atmosphere for many years afterwards and produced a range of natural phenomena that inspired artists around the world. Vivid red sunsets were seen across Europe and noctilucent clouds (the illumination of ice crystals high in the atmosphere during twilight) were recorded for the first time.