Pompeii - Robert Harris

‘Pompeii’ is not what you would consider to be your normal historical thriller. There is no great unsolved historical mystery at work here, but rather, an event that everyone knows the outcome of: the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 that buried alive the residents of the town of Pompeii, perfectly preserving their bodies for posterity. Stranger yet is the hero of the story. He’s not a battle hero, nor even a member of the Roman senate, but an aquarius; an engineer whose responsibility it is to maintain the vital aqueducts that supply Roman towns such as Pompeii with their vital water ... more

It was the end of the summer in AD79. A large number of the richest members of the Roman Empire were enjoying a break in their Villa's around the Bay Of Naples. For everyone it's a time to relax and enjoy themselves, although one man has found something that worries him ever so slightly. The new engineer on the Aqua Augusta aqueduct, Marius Attilius has noticed a serious problem that needs his urgent attention. The problem isn't just with the aqueduct though and as Attilius heads towards Vesuvius he is about to encounter something that not even the mighty Roman's can appose. This is the 4th ... more

Pompeii is the fourth novel by Robert Harris, author of Fatherland, Enigma and Archangel. It is set in the last week of August, AD 79, covering four days starting two days before the eruption of the volcano, Mount Vesuvius up until the last day of the eruption. = WHAT IS IT ABOUT? Marius Attilius Primus is an aquarius, an engineer whose live revolves around the great aqueduct projects, which have been the great triumph of Roman civilisation. The engineer in charge if the Aqua Augusta, the 60-mile long aqueduct that brings water to the towns around the bay of Naples, has disappeared, and ... more

Pompeii by Robert Harris was my most favourite and most unexpected present I received last Christmas. Since both my son and I had read and enjoyed Fatherland and Enigma by the same author, and my son had also read Archangel and raved about it, it was a very thoughtful gift from him. Especially as we had, as a family spent a fascinating (and tiring) day visiting the remains of the real thing while on holiday in Sorrento, a few years previously. Of course, everyone knows the rudiments of what happened, when and where. But like the film Titanic, if you get the characters right and engage the ... more

Purchase paperback from Amazon for £5.59 I was moaning about having no new books to read and my friend lent me this. I liked it enough to read it in a couple of days. Synopsis: The Roman Empire's richest citizens are enjoying the heat wave whilst relaxing in their villas in the bay of Naples. The book centres around the remarkable achievement of the roman water system called Aqua Augusta which delivers water to about a quarter million people. It is set in august AD 79 in the few days leading up to and including the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. There are excellent descriptions of the amazing ... more