Pompeii Awakened: A Story of Rediscovery

"Pompeii Awakened" tells of the re-emergence in 1755 of an evocative, vanished world, which profoundly inspired a later age - from its arts and architecture to its science, sex and religion. The story of Pompeii lies not just in its uniquely preserved classical remains but also in its extraordinary impact on Europe's cultural imagination. Judith Harris brings the doomed city vibrantly to life. In her rich account of those who sifted through its artefacts, we read of Nelson, Napoleon and Mussolini; of poets who sought melancholy fulfilment from Pompeii's shattered walls; of Victorian preachers who equated it with Sodom and Gomorrah; and of the many others - engineers and architects, artists and cinematographers - for whom the city has never ceased to resonate. Harris has flown over Pompeii in a hot-air balloon, delved into ancient diaries and descended deep underground to assess the latest excavations. As the sleeping city re-awakens in her hands, Pompeii casts its spell once more, bewitching those who seek to unearth its buried secrets.