The Fires of Vesuvius
Pompeii Lost and Found
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Narrated by:
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Phyllida Nash
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By:
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Mary Beard
About this listen
Pompeii is the most famous archaeological site in the world, visited by more than two million people each year. Yet it is also one of the most puzzling, with an intriguing and sometimes violent history.
Destroyed by Vesuvius in 79 CE, the ruins of Pompeii offer the best evidence we have of life in the Roman Empire. But the eruptions are only part of the story. In The Fires of Vesuvius, acclaimed historian Mary Beard makes sense of the remains. She explores what kind of town it was - more like Calcutta or the Costa del Sol? - and what it can tell us about "ordinary" life there. From sex to politics, food to religion, slavery to literacy, Beard offers us the big picture even as she takes us close enough to the past to smell the bad breath and see the intestinal tapeworms of the inhabitants of the lost city. She resurrects the Temple of Isis as a testament to ancient multiculturalism. At the Suburban Baths we go from communal bathing to hygiene to erotica.
Recently, Pompeii has been a focus of pleasure and loss: from Pink Floyd's memorable rock concert to Primo Levi's elegy on the victims. But Pompeii still does not give up its secrets quite as easily as it may seem. This book shows us how much more and less there is to Pompeii than a city frozen in time as it went about its business on 24 August 79 CE.
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Annoying narrator
- By Chris E on 02-27-15
By: Mary Beard
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Classics
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Mary Beard, John Henderson
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 4 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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We are all classicists - we come into touch with the classics on a daily basis: in our culture, politics, medicine, architecture, language, and literature. What are the true roots of these influences, however, and how do our interpretations of these aspects of the classics differ from their original reality?
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Beard guides the reader through the Classics
- By Darwin8u on 10-29-24
By: Mary Beard, and others
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Laughter in Ancient Rome
- On Joking, Tickling, and Cracking Up
- By: Mary Beard
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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What made the Romans laugh? Was ancient Rome a carnival, filled with practical jokes and hearty chuckles? Or was it a carefully regulated culture in which the uncontrollable excess of laughter was a force to fear-a world of wit, irony, and knowing smiles? How did Romans make sense of laughter? What role did it play in the world of the law courts, the imperial palace, or the spectacles of the arena?
By: Mary Beard
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Emperor of Rome
- Ruling the Ancient World
- By: Mary Beard
- Narrated by: Mary Beard
- Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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In her international bestseller 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 your usual chronological account of Roman rulers, one after another: the mad Caligula, the monster Nero, the philosopher Marcus Aurelius.
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Wasn't sure but won me over
- By John S. on 01-26-24
By: Mary Beard
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Antony & Cleopatra
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 17 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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In this remarkable dual biography of the two great lovers of the ancient world, Adrian Goldsworthy goes beyond myth and romance to create a nuanced and historically acute portrayal of his subjects, set against the political backdrop of their time. A history of lives lived intensely at a time when the world was changing profoundly, this audiobook takes listeners on a journey that crosses cultures and boundaries, from ancient Greece and ancient Egypt to the Roman Empire.
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Very good
- By Kdmd on 02-23-16
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Pompeii
- A Novel
- By: Robert Harris
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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All along the Mediterranean coast, the Roman empire’s richest citizens are relaxing in their luxurious villas, enjoying the last days of summer. The world’s largest navy lies peacefully at anchor in Misenum. The tourists are spending their money in the seaside resorts of Baiae, Herculaneum, and Pompeii. But the carefree lifestyle and gorgeous weather belie an impending cataclysm, and only one man is worried.
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We know the ending
- By Charles on 12-02-03
By: Robert Harris
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The Shadow of Vesuvius
- A Life of Pliny
- By: Daisy Dunn
- Narrated by: Mike Grady
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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When Pliny the Elder perished at Stabiae during the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, he left behind an enormous compendium of knowledge, his 37-volume Natural History, and a teenaged nephew who revered him as a father. Grieving his loss, Pliny the Younger inherited the Elder's notebooks - filled with pearls of wisdom - and his legacy. At its heart, The Shadow of Vesuvius is a literary biography of the younger man, who would grow up to become a lawyer, senator, poet, collector of villas, and chronicler of the Roman Empire.
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Enjoyable but lost track at times
- By Joshua Miller on 12-16-20
By: Daisy Dunn
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Augustus
- First Emperor of Rome
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Caesar Augustus's story, one of the most riveting in western history, is filled with drama and contradiction, risky gambles and unexpected success. He began as a teenage warlord, whose only claim to power was as the heir of the murdered Julius Caesar. Mark Antony dubbed him "a boy who owes everything to a name," but in the years to come the youth outmaneuvered all the older and more experienced politicians and was the last man standing in 30 BC.
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You know my name...say it.
- By Steven on 12-10-14
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Pax Romana
- War, Peace, and Conquest in the Roman World
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Pax Romana examines how the Romans came to control so much of the world and asks whether traditionally favorable images of the Roman peace are true. Goldsworthy vividly recounts the rebellions of the conquered and examines why they broke out, why most failed, and how they became exceedingly rare. He reveals that hostility was just one reaction to the arrival of Rome and that from the outset, conquered peoples collaborated, formed alliances, and joined invaders, causing resistance movements to fade away.
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2 stars if youve read goldsworthy; 2.5 or 3 if not
- By fm2 on 10-21-16
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Pompeii: A History of the City and the Eruption of Mount Vesuvius
- By: Fergus Mason
- Narrated by: Jason Sullivan
- Length: 2 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Gone in an instant. Pompeii was one of the most advanced cities of its time; it had a complex water system, gymnasium, and amphitheater. Despite its advancements, there was one thing it wasn't ready for: Mount Vesuvius - the volcano that led to its ultimate doom. The 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius was one of the worst disasters in all of European history. In a near instant, over 15,000 people were dead and a city was completely destroyed. This audiobook looks at the rise, fall, and rediscovery of the great city of Pompeii.
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Horrible
- By Amazon Customer on 04-12-21
By: Fergus Mason
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Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician
- By: Anthony Everitt
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 15 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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In this dynamic and engaging biography, Anthony Everitt plunges us into the fascinating, scandal-ridden world of ancient Rome in its most glorious heyday. Accessible to us through his legendary speeches but also through an unrivaled collection of unguarded letters to his close friend Atticus, Cicero comes to life here as a witty and cunning political operator.
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An eloquent man, and a patriot
- By Darwin8u on 01-19-15
By: Anthony Everitt
What listeners say about The Fires of Vesuvius
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kevin C Lynch
- 12-01-22
Amazing!
As a history teacher who loves to study everything Roman, I've got to say, this is incredible! Mary Beard gives an incredible account of what life was like in the living city of Pompeii and includes a great amount of evidence, interpretation (her own an other historians) and context to help it all make sense. This is a must read for anyone who loves history, Rome, Pompeii, or just good story telling!
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- John S.
- 11-25-20
Exceeded expectations
Terrific book with a short review... author questions several assumptions made about archeological findings - was this "typical" or specific to a situation? Moreover, she emphasizes that Pompeii was a place in its own right, not some sort of proxy mini-Rome. Excellent audio narration adds to the experience.
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- Carol Calvert
- 07-29-24
Interesting details
Good narrator. Loved the casual use of profanity as the pompeiians did. As a woman I’m glad I didn’t live there at that time.
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- Walter A.
- 12-30-20
Great Listen
I really enjoyed listening to this book. The narrator is excellent. However, it helps to be able to look at illustrations. As it happens, I had a physical copy of the book. This was the perfect way to listen/read it.
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- Neil Wilkinson
- 12-04-19
Mary Beard is always fun and informative!
Like everything she does, Mary Beard's scholarship and storytelling is first rate. Listen to this!
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- Peter W. Kalnin
- 07-26-24
An Excellent Guide to a Lost City
Easy to understand for the average person but never overly simplistic or overly academic. Fun listen!
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- GIM Amazon Customer
- 08-08-19
Enchanting
This book was written in such a wonderful manner, facts and insights into the City of Pompeii. excellent narrator.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Susan Stilley
- 02-28-22
Very informative
Very informative, taking a sometimes humorous look at life in Pompeii and the attempts of archeologists to connect the puzzle pieces.
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- Robin C.
- 02-14-23
Pompeii unveiled
Marie beard knows how to make history interesting.
It’s worth listening to a few times because there’s so many compelling details about this lost people and how they lived. It’s a mystery unraveled.
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- Erik Jordan
- 01-13-24
Now Phyllida Nash is a favorite
I *loved* the narration and performance by Phyllida Nash. I could listen to her all day long. Clear, stately, and conveys the material beautifully.
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