Among the Lava Junkies by James Balog

Rating: *** 1/2

This article is about James Balog and his partner and friend John Wiltse and their fascination with volcano’s and lava. They have many close encounters and awe inspiring views. The most memorable times were when; James is visiting St.Helens when he has two close misses the first when his pilot for air expeditions crashes in the afternoon before the night when they were supposed to go on an expedition, and is killed. When he learns of the news he heads back to the small airport H.Q. and that’s when St.Helens erupts. He heads up with a rescue helicopter to help any survivors, when up in the air he sees that the spot that he had picked out is now covered in lava, a near miss. Another near death experience was when he and his wife are in Sicily visiting a “romantic” volcanique island when as they are looking over the crater edge, it erupts, sending them fleeing from the explosion as molten rocks come flying from the sky down around them. There most awe inspiring moment was in Highcastle where an underground volcano was erupting, and with other lava junkies they watched this new island being formed in front of them.

I would suggest this to anyone who wants a good read, or to anyone who might be a lava junkie out there...