POMPEII: THE LIVING CITY. by Butterworht, Alex & Laurence, Ray - 2005

London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2005. 354 pp, 9 1/2" H. Colour plates. "Drawing together the most recent archaeological and historical research, 'Pompeii' offers a vivid, and unprecedented, portrait of the city during the eventful twenty-five years leading up to the eruption (of AD 79) that destroyed it. Focusing on key individuals from each stratum of Pompeian society, a compelling narrative emerges of the city's best and worst times, placing the reader right on the streets and in the houses, among the sights, smells and sounds of the living city. This was a world full of political tensions and strange customs, a place where merchants vied for the best trade routes and rich Romans pursued all manner of pleasures. We meet Decimus Satrius Lucretius Valens, who is set to take his adoptive father's place among Pompeii's magistrates; the rich and ostentatious Vettii brothers, freedmen dealers in wine and perfume; Julius Polybius, an eager networker with grand political ambitions; Mogonimus, the earnest doctor. Then suddenly, in AD 62, tragedy strikes: a terrible earthquake tears apart both Pomepii's buildings and the fabric of its society. For a decade, we watch as Pompeii struggles to rebuild itself while, in Rome, the emperor Nero sinks further into despotism and depravity. But just as the city is at last within reach of reclaiming its former glory, disaster strikes once more." Light toning to the edges of the text block. Dust jacket has wrinkling at the top of the spine.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good+/Very Good.