The Complete Pompeii

by Joanne Berry

Book Overview

The dramatic story of Pompeii's destruction has been handed down to us by Roman writers, its paintings and mosaics have astonished visitors since their discovery in the eighteenth century, and its houses and public buildings to this day present a vivid picture of life, disaster, and death in a Roman town.

Pompeii is not quite a time capsule, a frozen moment in history, but it is probably the closest we will ever get to one. This up-to-date...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 050005150X
• ISBN13: 9780500051504
• Release Date: November 2007
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 2.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 7.9" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

An Excellent Account of the Site

If you require information about anything the internet has probably become an unbeatable source of knowledge but for me maybe I am old fashioned there is still nothing to beat a good book and this is a good book. It is full of facts and photographs laid out in such a way that they are interesting to the reader. The main reason that I personally bought the book was that I had visited the site a dozen years ago and my memories of the place were starting to fade in my mind. As soon as I opened the book and the photographs of various parts of the site shone back at me from the pages, all the old memories flooded back and it was as though I had been there only yesterday. The book covers virtually everything that anyone is likely to want to know about Pompeii nd the surrounding area. Also about how one of the largest archaeological sites in the world is still developing with new things being discovered all the time. The destruction of Pompeii is well documented, but little is known of the lives of the people who lived in Pompeii before the disaster. This book goes a long way towards telling the story of the unfortunate people who were caught up in one of the worst natural disasters in history. How they lived their lives, the work they did and how they spent their leisure time.

Complete Pompeii - It really is!

This book is a comprehensive treatment of this significant heritage site. It has a lot to offer for both the interested amateur as well as those who teach it at schools. The photos are well chosen and the diagrams are well drawn and very helpful. The text is accurate and very readable. This is amust have book for those teaching Ancient History in NSW, Australia. Highly recommended. Thanks Ms Berry.

the complete pompeii

I have to agree with the other reviews about the quality of this book. The publishers have produced several books under a similar title (e.g.'The Complete Tutankhamun'; 'The Complete Valley of the Kings')and all are of a very high quality. This book stands out for several reasons. Firstly, the text is of a high quality - suitable for the general reader, but also for school and university students, and the information is very complete and up-to-date. Secondly, the photographs are again of a very high quality. I think there are no photographs that I have not seen before, but the quality of these is superb - - undoubtedly they have been digitally enhanced. As a teacher, I will be able to use these very effectively to teach about Pompeii, but equally, the general reader will get great enjoyment and some learning because of the quality of them. As I write, I have 26 books besides me about Pompeii and/or Herculaneum. I have no doubt that this is probably the best of them.

Very Complete Pompeii

This book summarizes everything you ever wanted to know about Pompeii, with chapters on the story of the eruption, history of excavations, origins of the town, Pompeiians' daily lives, leadership and politics, housing, religion, economy, and the 16 years between a destructive earthquake and the death of the town. There are over 300 illustrations enabling the reader to visualize what Berry is saying. The information is current as of early 2007, so it includes the latest findings and theories. The author is not squeamish about showing nudity or quoting obscene graffiti, both of which helped archaeologists decipher the daily goings-on in Pompeii.

One of the best synopsis of this fascinating subject

This is informative on all aspects of this ancient city. The photographs and the written subject matter are most interesting and appealing.