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Pompeii: The Living City Hardcover – October 3, 2006

by Alex Butterworth (Author), Ray Laurence (Author)

4.4 70 ratings

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The ash of Mt. Vesuvius preserves a living record of the complex and exhilarating society it instantly obliterated two thousand years ago. In this highly readable, lavishly illustrated book, Butterworth and Laurence marshall cutting-edge archaeological reconstructions and a vibrant historical tradition dating to Pliny and Tacitus; they present a richly textured portrait of a society not altogether unlike ours, composed of individuals ordinary and extraordinary who pursued commerce, politics, family and pleasure in the shadow of a killer volcano. Deeply resonant in a world still at the mercy of natural disaster, Pompeii recreates life as experienced in the city, and those frantic, awful hours in AD 79 that wiped the bustling city from the face of the earth.

Print length

368 pages
Language

English
Publisher

St. Martin's Press
Publication date

October 3, 2006
Dimensions

6.5 x 1.25 x 9.75 inches
ISBN-10

0312355858
ISBN-13

978-0312355852
See all details

Joanne Berry
335
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Mary Beard
265
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Paul Wilkinson
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The thriving ancient port city of Pompeii was memorably destroyed and its 20,000 to 30,000 inhabitants killed in A.D. 79 by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Archeologists have dug parts of the city out of the rubble, reconstructing its layout and life. Drawing on this evidence and on ancient writings on Pompeii, British popular historians Butterworth and Laurence splendidly recreate the bustling life of this Roman town, as well as the eruption. They tell of Umbricius Scaurus, one of the city's most respected businessmen, who grew wealthy manufacturing the culinary staple garum, a fermented fish sauce. We also read fictionalized accounts of other lives, such as Simulus, a smallholder happy to be farming a plot of rich soil, and Receptus, a slave whose new master made his life miserable. The authors vividly recreate the horrors of the earthquake in A.D. 62 that destroyed much of the town and the terrors of the volcanic eruption. They recount the heroic efforts of one woman to claw her way out of the rubble of the Villa of the Mysteries only to be killed by a new eruption. This is a first-rate and compelling history of an ancient city. 16 pages of color photos. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"A compelling and yet highly detailed narrative. I only wish it had been available when I was researching my novel." - bestselling author Robert Harris

"An immensely evocative, well-written and powerful portrait of what life was really like in Pompeii." - Tom Holland, author of RUBICON

"Brings Pompeii startlingly alive once more" - History Today

"a vivid portrait of place and people before the cataclysms of AD 62 and 75" -Church Times

"accessible, wide-ranging and evocative and makes surprisingly compelling reading." - Catholic Times

"For those looking to be transported back to the living city, it will be hard to resist." - Oxford Times

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press; American First edition (October 3, 2006)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0312355858
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312355852
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.25 x 9.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #615,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #987 in Ancient Roman History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 70 ratings

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Alex Butterworth
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Ray Laurence
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Ray Laurence is Professor of Ancient History at Macquarie University (Sydney - Australia). He has previously taught at the Universities of Reading, Birmingham and Kent in the England.
He has throughout his career (first book published in 1994) advocated that Roman history and archaeology are two means to the past that need to be studied together.
Much of his work features an engagement with contemporary thinking from a range of disciplines that are involve the study of urban space, ageing and the life course, and the study of everyday life in the Roman Empire.
Moving to Australia in 2017, Ray has been struck by the sheer scale of Ancient History in Australia with over 10,000 students taking Higher Schools Certificate (HSC) in the subject, and substantial numbers enrolled at University - actually far higher than in the UK.
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4.4 out of 5

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James Jarvis

Excellent History and Science along with Perspective of the Times

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2013

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Butterworth and Laurence have put together a work that distinctly separates the known facts from the social/cultural events of the times that we only know by logical speculation. It makes for astonishing, thoughtful reading that is founded on the known history and science into which is woven what was likely to have gone through the minds of the people. I think anyone who has examined the massive eruptions of Vesuvius in 79 AD has been struck by the relationship of two related people (Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger) one of whom dies while trying to marshal a rescue effort and the other who at the same time wrote down the first ever live observation of a volcanic eruption. The book's authors have examined the Roman politics of the times both from the perspective of the Empire's leaders as well as individuals in the city of Pompeii. They have tied physiological and anthropological evidence in ways that are rarely seen. For example, by dental examinations of the remains of large numbers of people, one can get a solid view of the diet and hygiene of people of different social classes. They have tied the interim between the earthquake of AD 62 and the volcano's eruption politically, economically, and socially.

For anyone interested in the big picture of what happened when Vesuvius exploded, along with a substantial number of fine details, this is a solid read. For anyone intending to visit the vicinity of Naples, the depth of this perspective is invaluable.

4 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

A good interesting read.

Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2014

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There is a lot of information in the text that is easy to miss if you read too quickly. The authors provide wonderful insights into daily life in first century Rome.

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I. Rubin

Pompeii what a terrific reconstruction

Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2016

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A great readable history book. Draws together so much different information from social class to slavery from religion to food and architecture. With a healthy dose of politics of the time. All integrated in a story that reads like historical fiction. From the sex life of Romans to the fears of gladiators before entering the ring the author lets the reader feel what it must have been like to be in Pompeii before the volcano erupted.

3 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

A good read

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2018

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I enjoyed how the text went from more historical text to vignettes of the actual people living life in Pompeii before and up to the eruption.

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Frank J. Konopka

Learning from the ruins

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2006

This book takes a very close look at the buried city of Pompeii, and the type of living that went on in it prior to, and at the time of, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It goes into great detail, and even has some fictional episodes done in italics to give more of a flavor to the work. It tended to be a bit dry at times, which cost it that last star, in my estimation. On the other hand, you will learn a great deal that you didn't know about life in Pompeii, and by extension, other parts of the Roman Empire during and shortly after the time of Nero.

3 people found this helpful

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anutany

Underwhelmed

Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2009

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I bought this book based on the glowing reviews and was underwhelmed. While it is not bad, in many places I found it dry, confusing and disjointed. I did not particularly like the mix of historical fiction and history. I thought that those fiction vignettes undermined the actual research while not adding anything of interest to the story. Many chapters were devoted to Nero and Roman politics of the time, which was relevant but seemed like filler since it did not contribute much to the Pompeian narrative.
Overall if you haven't read anything about Pompeii I would recommend Mary Beard's work which provided much better and more engaging look into the life of Pompeii.

18 people found this helpful

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Denise B

A real treat.

Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is the best book I have read about Pompeii. Many books deal with the disaster, but this one brings the whole city and society to vivid life as it covers the years leading up to the eruption. Do yourself a favor and buy it.

One person found this helpful

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Joshua J. Humphrey

Pompeii: The Living City

Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2009

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The product was in terrific shape as the overview said it would be and the price was very reasonable. I am happy with this product.

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Top reviews from other countries

Akashdeep Sen

5 Star

Reviewed in India on October 14, 2017

Verified Purchase

One of the best books about Pompeii I have come across. A must read book..

Bill Buchanan

A good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 2, 2022

Verified Purchase

I liked the combination of fiction (linked to historical figures) and factual information. Very informative and easy to read. For someone who has visited Pompeii, I wish I had read this before going!

eBookomane

No a rival work so much as a perfect compliment to Mary Beard's Pompeii

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2015

Verified Purchase

Purchased as a compliment to Mary Beard's masterly work, when planning a 'holiday of a lifetime' visit that included Pompeii and Herculaneum. While it was a guided tour and the guides were good - very good - there was too much to take in, so relaxing with a cool drink while leafing through making sense of what one has just seen (or expects to see) is no chore.

A must for anyone interested in this quintessential time-capsule into the ancient Roman way of life.

3 people found this helpful

MadMaggie

Magnificent readable account

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2014

Verified Purchase

This book is very approachable combining scolarship with readability. It is actually written by two people and combines a vividly imagined fictional account alongside verifiable facts. I've used it to study for an academic course but also for sheer pleasure. It proved invaluable preparation for my last visit to Pompeii and also the recent British Museum exhibition on Pompeii and Herculaneum.

2 people found this helpful

jade

Great Book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 22, 2019

Verified Purchase

Good in depth look at Ancient Pompeii.

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