Book of the month - Up Pompeii - again

Pompeii is the second book in the series "The great mysteries of archaeology" to be reviewed in Showtime. Other titles include the Cretan phenomenon Knossos and the Pyramids of Egypt. We were very impressed by both the presentation and scholarship in the first title reviewed: Tutankhamun - and we're pleased to report that Pompeii is equally well presented.

Written by Tatiana Pedrazzi, who teaches archaeology at the University of Insubria, the book takes the reader through the history of Pompeii from its inception, via its destruction in AD 79, when a sudden eruption by Vesuvius totally destroyed the city and killed most of its inhabitants, right through to the rediscovery and excavation of the ruins.

Pompeii, which is available from Allied Retail and Commercial at just €14.60 is, like Tutankhamun, packed with over 200 colour plates and is a handsomely produced book. It also reads like a novel, to the extent that it is indeed quite hard to put down.

We look forward enthusiastically to reading and reviewing the other titles in this excellent series.