This two-volume natural history of volcanoes and volcanic phenomena was first published in Germany in 1855 by the chemist and mineralogist Georg Landgrebe (1802–1872) and was intended for scientifically literate enthusiasts rather than for specialists. The book begins with a review of contemporary work on volcanoes, explaining the theories of Leopold von Buch and the lively international debates they had generated among scholars including Charles Lyell, George Poulett Scrope and Charles Daubeny (also reissued in this series). Volume 1 lists the world's volcanoes by region, giving details of their altitude, mineralogy, and recent eruptions (including Etna in 1832 and Mount St Helens in September 1842). Landgrebe makes frequent reference to published work, summarising eyewitness accounts of vegetation, terrain and volcanic activity. He gives particular attention to Vesuvius and to the volcanoes of Iceland and Java, but there is also thorough coverage of the Americas, the Caribbean and the Pacific.