POMPEII: Exploring a Roman Ghost Town

by Ron and Nancy Goor Goor ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 13, 1986

A splendid photographic and verbal re-creation of the city buffed by Vesuvius in A.D. 79, as it was in its prime and is today. Beginning with an account of the city's destruction and rediscovery, most of the book is devoted to descriptions of life in Pompeii as it can be inferred from the remarkably preserved remains, excavated only in the last 200 years. Simple maps provide orientation; a wealth of sharply defined black-and-white photos of artifacts, ruins, and other traces form a stage to be peopled by the reader's imagination, with details provided by the clear, informative text. So vivid is this induced world that the occasional drawings showing how it might have been seem superfluous, even intrusive. Inserts containing translations of graffiti, recipes, notes on gardens, etc. lend color and authenticity. The importance of scrupulous archeological excavation of such a site and its contribution to understanding the past are made clear both explicitly and implicitly. Whoever took those fine photographs (the authors?) deserves credit. Index.

Pub Date: Nov. 13, 1986

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 118

Publisher: Crowell

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1986

Categories: CHILDREN'S