Pompeii - Softcover

Connolly, Peter

4.27

78 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0199171580 ISBN 13: 9780199171583

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1994

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From the remarkable pen of Peter Connolly comes a comprehensive look at the ancient city of Pompeii. He begins with the scientific facts: How was Pompeii destroyed? How did Mount Vesuvius become an active volcano? What happened during the eruption? How long did Pompeii lay buried and how was it finally rediscovered? What was Pompeii's history before the disaster?

Then, Peter Connolly does what he does better than anyone--he rebuilds the past in words and pictures, allowing us to imagine what it was like to live in old Pompeii. Like an archaeological detective, he sifts through the ruins and artifacts to reconstruct one area of the town in minute detail. With maps and cross-sections, photographs, drawings, and engrossing, fact-filled text, Connolly takes us into the very homes of its citizens--into the kitchens, atriums, bedrooms and out into the gardens. We learn what the furniture looked like, how the homes were lighted and heated, what kind of jewelry was popular, and what the gladiators wore. We view the varied styles of architecture and decoration, attend a grand dinner party, visit local shops, go to the theater, to a public bath, and to the gladiators' arena. We gain an understanding of this ancient civilization, and begin to see how much was lost when the city fell prey to the tons of lava and ashes that fell on it during the devastating disaster.

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About the Author:

Peter Connolly was a renowed British scholar of the ancient world, Greek, and Roman military equipment historian, reconstructional archaeologist, and illustrator. He was awarded an honorary research fellowship at the Institute of Archaeology of the University College London.

Review:

"The range and wealth of information here offer an insight into the potential of scholarship that is rare in books for young people."--Kirkus Reviews

"Full-color photographs and illustrations and detailed sketches grace every page.... Particularly striking are the full-page cutaways of buildings.... This is as complete and thorough a documentation of the story of Pompeii as any that can be currently found in children's collections."--School Library Journal

"Superb illustrations, combined with a sparse text that packs an enormous amount of scholarly information, presented in a way that is understandable and accessible... For the YA reader interested in what has actually been discovered there, and how those discoveries illustrate the daily life of Romans, this book is probably the best place to begin."--Kliatt

"The carefully researched text is effectively extended by the many maps, drawings, and photographs in this book. Like the other books in Oxford's Rebuilding the Past series, Pompeii is an excellent resource."--The Reading Teacher

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