Ashen Sky: The Letters of Pliny The Younger on the Eruption of Vesuvius (Hardcover)

by Pliny (Author), Barry Moser (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Barry Moser's extraordinarily detailed and evocative relief engravings decorate this translation of Pliny the Younger's two famous letters to Tacitus about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 and the death of his uncle, Pliny the Elder. Printed in black and white, the engravings are works of art that illustrate various descriptions in the letters. The text includes a brief description of the eruption of the volcano, concise biographies of Tacitus and of both Plinys, and a summary of how the texts of the two letters have survived until today.

About the Author

Since 1970 Barry Moser has provided wood engravings for more than a hundred books, including editions of Moby Dick, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and the King James Version of the Bible. His works are found in museums throughout the world as well as in rare-book rooms and special collections of libraries.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Getty Publications (September 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892369000
• ISBN-13: 978-0892369003
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #600,649 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving Art, December 20, 2007

By	Daniel W. Hays (Salem, OR, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Much of what we know about the A.D. 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius - the eruption that sealed Pompeii and Herculaneum in time and volcanic ash - comes from the letters written by Pliny the Younger to his friend Tacitus. Pliny was an eyewitness, and his uncle died in the eruption.<
These texts have been available for a long time. What is new and impressive about this book are its illustrations, relief engravings by artist Berry Moser, Professor in Residence in the Art Department of Smith College in Massachusetts.<
The letters are freshly translated by Benedicte Gilman, who has also provided biographies of Tacitus and Pliny the Younger, as well as an essay describing how it was that the letters themselves came to be preserved into modern times. This is solid, readable, exciting work in and of itself.<
But the real force in this book is the illustrations. Using a technique generally confined to wood engraving, Moser has given us a series of 16 vital illustrations that bring a terrible life to the horrible events of the eruption. As slim as it is, this volume is a literal "must have" for all lovers of art and history.

5.0 out of 5 stars Moser on Vesuvivus, April 11, 2009

By	Terrence W. Faulkner (Rochester, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book because the illustrations were done by Barry Moser. As always, his art does not disappoint. The brief text by Pliny is equally worthy of admiration.