"Splendidly recreate[s] the bustling life of this Roman town, as well as the eruption . . . a first-rate and compelling history of an ancient city." —Publishers WeeklyThe 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, Alex Butterworth and Ray Laurence marshal 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.Please note that this ebook does not contain the photo insert that appears in the print book."A compelling and yet highly detailed narrative. I only wish it had been available when I was researching my novel." —Robert Harris, New York Times–bestselling author of Conclave and Pompeii"An immensely evocative, well-written and powerful portrait of what life was really like in Pompeii." —Tom Holland, author of Dominion"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