57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Magical Lure of the Buried City of Pompeii, November 15, 2005
This review is from: Pompeii: The History, Life and Art of the Buried City (Hardcover)
For all the fictional stories of the city of Atlantis, the lost cities of various cultures, and the sci-fi fantasies of destroyed kingdoms, none is as fascinating as the discovery in 1748 of the lost city of Pompeii. For centuries now archeologists and historians have studied and written about the glorious city that was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. While many books have been written about various aspects of the excavation, the speculation, the discovered art of Pompeii, they all pale in comparison to this majestic tome as superbly edited by Marisa Ranieri Panetta.
Different from the numerous 'travel guide' books that reconstruct with plastic overlays the city now excavated with the city as it once stood, Panetta has gather a staff of thirteen ecellent Italian scholars who each write brilliantly about a different aspect of this city still veiled in mystery. The book is divided into the following sections: Introduction by Panetta, The Discovery and History of Pompeii, Public Life, Religious Life, Commercial Life, Private Life, Lifestyles, Oplontis (an area outside Pompeii of fascinating richness), Mount Vesuvius and the Eruption, and a brilliant chronology, glossary and bibliography.
The tome contains many new, never before published photographs of the city and the art. But the overwhelming beauty of the book is in the design and copious foldout pages that allow for panoramic views. The color reproduction is first class. This is now the magnum opus and certainly the definitive book on Pompeii. Given that the visuals are splendid, the additional good news is that the commentary essays are excellent reading! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, November 05
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Breath Taken away and not by Volcanic ash, January 22, 2006
This review is from: Pompeii: The History, Life and Art of the Buried City (Hardcover)
This is a miraculous book, unearthing the wonders and artistic and technical genius of a nearly vanished city. The sumptuous photographs are almost past-believing in their glorious Pompeiian reds and in the luscious details from every sandaled walk of the the city, from the contemplative to the erotic. A major generous addition is a four page foldout very suitable for framing inserted slyly into the back cover. Each essay is honest and lucid. This is the one book on Pompeii you should keep. I've jetisoned my others. It's a treasure. Treat yourself.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A huge book for a little price., February 18, 2007
This review is from: Pompeii: The History, Life and Art of the Buried City (Hardcover)
Lots of wonderful pictures and information. I was really surprised. It's not a book you can bring along to Pompeii (it's really heavy and large). That was my orginal idea. However, it's filled with amazing pictures and details that I'll note and try to see. It will also be nice to have after my trip because there is no way I'll have the pictures that this book provides. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Pompeii or is planning to visit.
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