Product Details

• Actors: Alexander Scourby, Leslie Nielsen, Joseph Campanella, Orson Welles, Richard Basehart
• Directors: Alexander Grasshoff, Aram Boyajian, Bert Haanstra, David Seltzer, Jack Kaufman
• Writers: James Lipscomb
• Producers: Al Giddings, Alexander Grasshoff, Bud Wiser, James Lipscomb
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Nat'l Geographic Vid
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 1998
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304475152
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,930 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

"Vesuvius slumbers, but his heart is still awake," wrote one scientist about southern Italy's Mount Vesuvius. Active for more than 17,000 years, Vesuvius wiped out two nearby towns in A.D. 79, with a blast 10 times greater than Mount St. Helens's 1980 eruption. Pompeii and Herculaneum were lost beneath gravel and ash until relatively recently. Now archaeologists consider Pompeii the largest preserved site of the ancient world. In this hour-long program, originally released in 1987, much is methodically explored. In Herculaneum a baby's cradle, delicate hand-blown glass, and a lunchtime meal are all intact. How did ancient Romans live and how did Vesuvius kill them? Viewers will learn all this and more about the last moments of life near Europe's most active volcano. --Cristina Del Sesto

Product Description

Since the days of the Roman Empire, Italy's Mount Vesuvius has erupted more than 50 times, devastating whole cities and towns. In A.D. 79 it destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum, burying people alive as they ran to escape the volcano's fury. Lost and forgotten for more than 1,600 years, the once-thriving trade center of Pompeii has been successfully uncovered by archaeologists. At Herculaneum, human skeletons were found in a fatal embrace. Although Vesuvius is sleeping now, this active volcano is never far from the minds of the two million people who live in its shadow.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great video for entire family, February 24, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Atlanta, Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: National Geographic's In the Shadow of Vesuvius [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is one of my family's favorite videos. Kids as young as 5 are engrossed in the footage of Vesuvius and the remains of the city of Pompeii. My son's first grade teacher has requested this video to share with all the first graders in their study of Ancieng Greece & Rome

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great educational film for potential tourists/history buffs, December 10, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Brian) (Naples, Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: National Geographic's In the Shadow of Vesuvius [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I'm in the US Navy, currently stationed in Naples, Italy. This video is one of the many high quality National Geographic films. It's material is targeted for 2 groups: Potential tourists to southern Italy, and Ancient History enthusiasts (and is rated 5 stars for them). The video is very accurate, I have visited most of the sights myself.