WINNER OF THE WOLFSON HISTORY PRIZE 2008
'The world's most controversial classicist debunks our movie-style myths about the Roman town with meticulous scholarship and propulsive energy' Laura Silverman, Daily Mail
The ruins of Pompeii, buried by an explosion of Vesuvius in 79 CE, offer the best evidence we have of everyday life in the Roman empire. This remarkable book rises to the challenge of making sense of those remains, as well as exploding many myths: the very date of the eruption, probably a few months later than usually thought; or the hygiene of the baths which must have been hotbeds of germs; or the legendary number of brothels, most likely only one; or the massive death count, maybe less than ten per cent of the population.
An extraordinary and involving portrait of an ancient town, its life and its continuing re-discovery, by Britain's favourite classicist.
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
ISBN: 9781846684715
Number of pages: 368
Weight: 320 g
Dimensions: 206 x 144 x 26 mm
Edition: Main
This marvellous book won the Wolfson History Prize and is a model of subtle but accessible writing about the past - Judith Rice, Guardian
Classicist Mary Beard has had a great time rooting about that ghostly place, and she has brought it quite splendidly back to life. - Nicholas Bagnall, Sunday Telegraph
To the vast field of Pompeiiana she brings the human touch... this absorbing, inquisitive and affectionate account of Pompeii is a model of its kind. Beard has caught the quick of what was and, in our lives today, remains the same. - Ross Leckie, The Times
Very readable and excellently researched... Beard's clear-sighted and accessible style makes this a compelling look into history. - Alexander Larman, Observer
If you want to know what really happened in the last days of the petrified city, Beard's meticulous reconstruction will fill you in, scraping away many of your preconceptions as it goes, while her evocative writing will transport you back. - Guardian
The world's most controversial classicist debunks our movie-style myths about the Roman town with meticulous scholarship and propulsive energy ... scrutinising and animated in equal measure. - Laura Silverman, Daily Mail
A brilliant portrait ... this meticulous, vivid study of life in the town rightly and resolutely focuses on the living city. - James McConnachie, Sunday Times
This was a very enjoyable book, and brought the town to life even for someone who hasn't been there (yet). It was well written and went into everything you can imagine and more, about what went on in the town,... More
This was a very enjoyable book, and brought the town to life even for someone who hasn't been there (yet). It was well written and went into everything you can imagine and more, about what went on in the town,... More
Really readable account of Pompeii before and after the eruption that sealed its fate. I have been there years ago and wish I’d had this book to read before I went. It’s not dry as historical accounts can be, great... More
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