Pompeii (The Roman World Series)

Full-color photographs and illustrations and detailed sketches grace every page of this entry in an already crowded field of books on the subject. Detailed drawings of houses, shops, and public buildings such as baths, theatres, and temples in their original conditions help readers understand the day to day workings of a Roman town in the first century a.d. Particularly striking are the full-page cutaways of buildings. Each subject is addressed in a two-page layout. Such prosaic details as sewage systems and laundering techniques are given as much attention as gladiator games and drama. The accompanying text is sometimes a bit technical, and some Latin terms are not fully explained. A careful introduction illuminates not only the eruption, but also the early history of the city and the surrounding area.