1
of
1
Pompeii
The Life of a Roman Town
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 5,198 ratings, 575 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2600
$2999
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
Pompeii
$2600
$2999
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Latest News
Jon Toogood visits Book Hero
We were so honoured to have Aotearoa's own royal rock legend Jon Toogood visit Book...
New Hero Alert! Meet Liam - our new Bookstore Hero
We’re thrilled to welcome Liam to the Book Hero team! You’ll find him in our...
Celebrating Bird of the Year 2026 with Bird Books
Today I've got a couple of INCREDIBLE bird books as well as a reading list...
Amelia's Favourite Puzzle Vibe: What Makes a Puzzle Cosy?
What makes a puzzle feel cosy? Amelia shares her favourite puzzle vibe, from bookshops and...
The Book Briefing: 23rd September
Another busy day in the reading world with new book announcements and reveals, events happening...
See moreIn this brilliant portrait of the 'life in a Roman town', Mary Beard uses the relics buried by the eruption on AD79 to bring everyday Roman culture alive.'
'Much of what you think you know about Pompeii may turn out, on reading this eye-opening book, to be wrong ... Beard always wears her learning lightly, and in this outstanding book she has excelled herself, puncturing preconceptions and exposing a whole layer of myth about the world's best-preserved ancient town. The result is an often gripping piece of detective work that also offers a tantalising window into the reality of daily Roman life.' The Sunday Times
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Pompeii explodes a number of myths – from the very date of the eruption, probably a few months later than usually thought; the hygiene of the baths, which must have been hotbeds of germs; and the legendary number of brothels, most likely only one, to the massive death count, which was probably less than ten per cent of the population.
Street Life, Earning a Living: Baker, Banker and Garum Maker (who ran the city), The Pleasure of the Body: Food, Wine, Sex and Baths, these chapter headings give a surprising insight into the workings of a Roman town.
At the Suburban Baths, we go from communal bathing to hygiene to erotica. A fast-food joint on the Via dell' Abbondanza introduces food and drink and diets and street life.
These are just a few of the strands that make up an extraordinary and involving portrait of an ancient town, its life and its continuing re-discovery, by Britain's leading classicist.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Pompeii by Mary Beard is praised for debunking myths about the Roman town with strong scholarship and engaging storytelling. Critics highlight its meticulous and vivid portrayal of life in Pompeii, celebrating its accessibility, wit, and the evocative writing that brings ancient history to life. The book's human touch and insightful reconstruction of the past are particularly noted, making it a favourite among readers seeking both accurate historical insights and an enjoyable reading experience.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781861975966
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 16 July 2009
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Profile Books Ltd
Edition: Main
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 26.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 326g
Pages: 368
About the Author
Mary Beard is a Professor of Classics at Newnham College, Cambridge. Her books include The Parthenon and The Colosseum (with Keith Hopkins), and the recent The Roman Triumph. She lives in Cambridge.
Also by Professor Mary Beard
View all-
Emperor of Rome
The Sunday Times Top Ten & New York Times Bestseller Blackwell's Non-Fiction Book of the Year Shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2023 Extraordinary ... a deliciously varied tapestry of detail drawn from across nearly three centuries – Telegraph What was it really like to rule and be ruled in the Ancient Roman world? In her international best-seller...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Pompeii
Pompeii by Professor Mary Beard offers a fascinating exploration into the life and catastrophic death of an ancient Roman town. Drawing on a wealth of archaeological evidence and classical sources, Beard breathes new life into the ruins, revealing the day-to-day experiences of its residents, the vibrancy of its streets, and the mechanisms of its sudden obliteration. In this groundbreaking work,...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Talking Classics
From the bestselling author of Emperor of Rome and SPQR "The rock star scholar of Ancient Rome" – Financial Times "The reigning Queen of Classics" – Spectator What's exciting about a piece of bread 4,000 years old? Or some pots of paint abandoned in the eruption at Pompeii? Why should we be bothered with the distant past anyway? What's the...Hardback$3199Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips early October -
Emperor of Rome
Cruel control freaks, diligent workaholics or extravagant teenagers? What were the emperors of Rome really like? In her international best-seller SPQR, Mary Beard told the thousand-year story of ancient Rome. Now, she shines her spotlight on the emperors who ruled the Roman empire, from Julius Caesar (assassinated 44 BCE) to Alexander Severus (assassinated 235 CE). Emperor of Rome is not...Hardback$6800Elsewhere:$7500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Democracy
This is an exceptional moment for democracy. In the year of elections, read Margaret Atwood, Mary Beard, Lea Ypi, Elif Shafak and more on what democracy means - and why it matters. In 2024, nearly half the world will take part in a national election, with billions heading to the polls. It's a thrilling, unprecedented opportunity for change - yet...Paperback$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
SPQR
Ancient Rome continues to captivate modern readers, and its history is crucial for understanding the foundations of Western civilisation. In SPQR by Professor Mary Beard, one of the world's foremost classicists delves deep into the history of Rome, offering a comprehensive and captivating exploration of this extraordinary empire. This authoritative work traces the evolution of Rome from its humble beginnings...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
All in a Don's Day
Her central themes are the classics, universities and teaching - and much else besides. In this second collection following on from the success of It's a Don's Life, Beard ponders whether Gaddafi's home is Roman or not. We share her 'terror of humiliation' as she enters 'hairdresser country' and follow her dilemma as she wanders through the quandary of illegible...Paperback$3299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Confronting the Classics
Mary Beard is one of the world's best-known classicists — a brilliant academic, with a rare gift for communicating with a wide audience both through her books and TV presenting. In a series of sparkling essays, she explores our rich classical heritage — from Greek drama to Roman jokes, introducing some larger-than-life characters of classical history, such as Alexander the...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
It's a Don's Life
Mary Beard's by now famous blog It's a Don's Life has been running on the Times Literary Supplement website for nearly three years. In it, she has made her name as a wickedly subversive commentator on the world in which we live. Her central themes are the classics, universities, and teaching - and much else besides. What are academics for?...Paperback$3299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Colosseum
The Colosseum was Imperial Rome's monument to warfare. Like a cathedral of death, it towered over the city and invited its citizens, 50,000 at a time, to watch murderous gladiatorial games. It is now visited by two million visitors a year (Hitler was among them). Award-winning classicist Mary Beard, together with Keith Hopkins, tells the story of Rome's greatest arena:...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Parthenon
The ruined silhouette of the Parthenon on its hill above Athens is one of the world's most famous images. Its 'looted' Elgin Marbles are a global cause celebre. But what actually are they? In a revised and updated edition, Mary Beard, award-winning writer, reviewer, and leading Cambridge classicist, tells the history and explains the significance of the Parthenon, the temple...Paperback$3000Elsewhere:$3299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Women & Power
Britain's best-known classicist, Mary Beard, is also a committed and vocal feminist. With wry wit, she revisits the gender agenda and shows how history has treated powerful women. Her examples range from the classical world to the modern day, from Medusa and Athena to Theresa May and Hillary Clinton. Beard explores the cultural underpinnings of misogyny, considering the public voice...Paperback$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
More from History & Military
View all-
Saving Elli
One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Spy and the Traitor
The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New ReleaseSuicidal Empathy
The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...Paperback$3099Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Wager
THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 'The beauty of The Wager unfurls like a great sail... one of the finest nonfiction books I've ever read' Guardian 'The greatest sea story ever told' Spectator 'I cannot think of anyone who would not love this book... It is an extraordinary true story, beautifully...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Man's Search For Meaning
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the author’s groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2100Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Discipline
Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...Paperback$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Keep Calm – We Are Coming
Keep Calm — We Are Coming briefly backgrounds the New Zealand Special Air Service deployment in Afghanistan — then goes into action. While primarily training Afghan forces, in Kabul the NZSAS had to respond to a series of ‘spectacular attacks’ by heavily armed Taliban fighters wearing suicide vests and determined to inflict major casualties. In the words of those who...Paperback$4000Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New ReleaseThe Golden Menhir
Assurancetourix is entering the legendary Gallic bards' competition to win the golden menhir. But with the Romans keeping a close watch, Asterix and Obelix must protect him at all costs. Their mission? Keep him safe-no matter what... even if it means risking their own ears! First released as a book-disc in 1967, this adventure soon became a rare treasure, long...Hardback$2999Elsewhere:$3499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Cauldron
How did an elderly cleric overthrow the Shah of Iran and change the world?Why did Bin Laden attack the USA - and why did the USA destroy Saddam?How did Britain and France carve up the Middle East - and why did the Kurds never get their own state? THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE MAKING OF TODAY'S MIDDLE EAST: A SPELLBINDING...Hardback$4999Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid October -
New Release
Biological War
There is an invisible weapon among us. By the time you know you are a victim, it has turned you into a killer. A blistering new non-fiction thriller from the Baillie Gifford shortlisted author of Nuclear War (200,000 copies sold). A lab accident, a bio-attack, a global pandemic, and the collapse of human society. In this essential new book, based...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Shattered Lands
'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' – PETER FRANKOPAN 'This book is a revelation … both original and important' – MISHAL HUSAIN A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and...Paperback$3699Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Salt
Homer called it a divine substance. Plato described it as especially dear to the gods. As Mark Kurlansky so brilliantly relates here, salt has shaped civilisation from the beginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of mankind. Wars have been fought over salt and, while salt taxes secured empires across Europe and Asia, they...Paperback$3500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
History & Military lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
