BOOK REVIEWS 657

The book has been written not for the general public, but (Part A), site investigations (Part B), and maintenance design and
for, as the authors put it, the ‘fire community’. It was not the construction (Part C). Geographically, this book is slanted towards
intention to summarize the entire state of the literature, but to tropical mountainous regions with steep-sided slopes. Scientifically,
demonstrate why fire matters and how one might better Slope Engineering for Mountain Roads is geologically-biased with
understand the complex ways it intertwines with Earth and the understanding that knowledge of engineering is obligatory.
humanity. The book is divided into four parts, each of which With the guide ‘How to use the book’, you no longer need to
is subdivided into a number of chapters; ‘Fire in the Earth read chapters that are not immediately relevant to your immediate
system’, ‘Biology of fire’, ‘Anthropogenic fire’ and ‘The interests. The examples are numerous and specific, illustrated with
science and art of wildland fire behaviour prediction’. Nowhere high quality photographs and line drawings. Accompanying each
it is indicated which author (or authors) wrote which part or section are flow charts that recommend the order of activities to
chapter. Each part has its own list of references be undertaken in road design, construction, and preventative and
Part 1 is the most extensive; it is subdivided into five chapters, remedial maintenance. Part A outlines the types of geohazard and
such as ‘What is fire’ and ‘The geological history of fire – the last preliminary investigation methods, the variety of construction
two million years’. This part is an introduction to fire that not only contracts and landslide mechanics. The need for risk management
considers fundamentals of fire as a physical/chemical process, but is emphasized, and an example of costs incurred in a real time sit-
also includes methods for the study of fire, an appreciation of the uation is discussed. Part B outlines various types of site investiga-
geological history of fire and its importance in the Earth System. tion technique. Emphasis is made on the need for ground-truth
Part 2 is also subdivided into five chapters, including ‘Plants and data to validate desk studies; a section introduces how to map and
fire’, ‘Fire and fauna’ and ‘Fire and anthropogenic environmental recognize landslides. Part C deals extensively with route alignment
change’. This part explores the biology of fire, considering fire as selection, slope stabilization and erosion control. Finally, Part D ex-
a major Earth System process. It includes such items as biogeogra- plains the need for proper preventative, emergency and remedial
phy, ecology and evolution. slope maintenance.
Part 3, dealing with anthropogenic fire, is subdivided into three This Engineering Geology Special Publication is a welcome and
chapters: ‘Fire creature’; ‘A new epoch of fire: the Anthropocene’; timely collection of papers for engineers in the intended regions
and ‘Fire management’. During the Pleistocene hominids acquired that often have to operate on meagre budgets. It also lends credence
the capacity to manipulate fire. Humans could thus begin to control to the need for local geological knowledge at all stages of road
ignition, could compete with lightning in ways to complement its works construction and maintenance.
control over oxygen and fuel. Part 3 explores what this power has
meant for Earth and for humanity.
Part 4 is again subdivided into three chapters: ‘Fundamentals DONOVAN J. BLISSETT
of wildland fire as a physical process’; ‘Estimating free-burning Department of Geography and Geology University of the West
wildland fire behaviour’; and ‘Fire management applications of Indies Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
wildland fire behaviour knowledge’. This part focuses on fundamen-
tals of vegetation fire behaviour from the standpoint of understanding Published online 29 April 2014 in Wiley Online Library
heat transfer mechanisms, methods of measurement, description and (wileyonlinelibrary.com)
characterization and ways of forecasting probable fire behaviour in DOI: 10.1002/gj.2565
relation to the three components of fire environment: fuels, weather
and topography.
This book is a good example of a multidisciplinary investigation.
The writers express the wish that it may stimulate further research
into fire processes, both ‘natural’ and induced by humanity. A book ISLAND ON FIRE: THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF LAKI,
worth reading! THE FORGOTTEN VOLCANO THAT TURNED EIGHTEENTH-
CENTURY EUROPE DARK by Alexandra Witze and Jeff Kanipe.
Profile Books, London, 2014. No. of pages: 224. Price: UK£10.99.
J.H.A. (HAN) VAN KONIJNENBURG-VAN CITTERT ISBN 978-178125-0044 (cloth).
Department of Geology Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden,
The Netherlands
Volcanic eruptions and hazards make good subjects for semi-popular
books on geology. Major eruptions that had a violent impact on
Published online 29 April 2014 (wileyonlinelibrary.com)
humankind have received the best press, such as Krakatoa (Winchester,
DOI: 10.1002/gj.2566
2003) and Mont Pelée (Zebrowski, 2002). Witze and Kanipe have done
geology a service by popularizing a ‘forgotten’ volcano. The late 18th
century eruption of Laki was not particularly violent, but its detrimental
effects in Iceland and Europe were mainly due to its voluminous and
SLOPE ENGINEERING FOR MOUNTAIN ROADS, edited by G. J.
poisonous gaseous exhalations over an extended period. These formed
Hearn. Geological Society Engineering Geology Special Publication,
a poisonous fog that spread from Iceland to Europe and beyond.
24, London, 2011. No. of pages: xiii + 301. Price: UK£90.00. ISBN
Island on Fire is well-produced, readable and inexpensively
978-1-86239-331-8 (hardback).
priced for a hardback book. The book’s structure is logical, with
a brace of chapters early on introducing the gross structure of the
Slope Engineering for Mountain Roads, while not recommended as Earth, volcanoes and their products. There are also later chapters
a textbook for a lecture course, is ideal as a guide to scholars and dealing with volcanic hazards in general. These are all good, but
practitioners (road engineers) in the study of landslide mechanisms it sometimes feels like Laki and the eruption of 1783–1784 have

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Geol. J. 49: 649–660 (2014)