Iceland Inside: A journey into the volcano and more… by Ástþór Magnússon is a small-format book of photos with minimal text, covering the eruption of the volcano on the island of Heimaey in January 1973. Ástþór is a well-known photojournalist and aside from covering the 1973 eruption in Iceland Inside, he also included pictures of how the island looks today, even going into the magma chamber of the volcano. He included photos of the recovery efforts which are still going on, and also added some other scenic shots from all over Iceland.

Without warning in the middle of the night, an 1800-metre fissure opened up and the ground suddenly caught fire. Slight tremors were felt earlier that day but no one was prepared for the volcano to erupt. The entire island of 5000 was evacuated and the lava spewed out, covering part of the town and burying everything else in thick black ash. The eruption continued until July. The recovery efforts continue to this day, as the old town is being dug out to form a modern-day Pompeii. During my trip to Iceland this week, part of my stay will be spent on Heimaey, where I have booked overnight accommodation. I will add my own photos of the town, 42 years after the eruption.