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Pompeii... demolished in the world's most famous volcanic eruption in A.D. 79 killing thousands at the apex of the Roman Empire, ironically the people never knew Mount Vesuvius was this a volcano; understandable since the previous significant one occurred 1,800 years before, no town existed, and the name unknown to them because the word hadn't been invented yet, but soon would... lets say by borrowing from the Roman god of fire... Vulcan... Our story unfolds when a young despondent man of 27, a recent widower Marcus Attilius Primus arrives in the prosperous resort city, the kind that if you have money they like you, he has an important job here, as an Aquarius the chief engineer of Aqua Augusta a huge aqueduct which supplies 250,000 inhabitants with life giving water around the Bay of Naples. His predecessor Exomnius vanished, where is he ?...Wasn't he from the island of Sicily in the Mount Etna area? This
confounded mystery puzzles everyone, however life continues and Rome quickly sends a replacement because prominent officials have villas there, many powerful Senators, a bright honest individual causes Marcus numerous problems the era is shall we hint a little corrupt. Pompeii is ruled by a wealthy businessman Numerius Popidius Ampliatus a former slave, a man of immense courage he has to show the people his... preeminence.

After an earthquake of almost two decades ago flattens the city Ampliatus flourishes, maybe unethically done nonetheless the houses were rebuilt...bribes the local magistrates into doing his bidding all for the good of Pompeii's future he implies. This is not a dull novel so complications occur, a water break in the aqueduct must be found swiftly, and repaired, the engineer falls in love... surprise surprise with Corelia the daughter of the cruel Ampliatus who hates him, you can't trust a man who will not accept a kickback.. And we haven't yet mentioned the great Pliny the Elder, writer, soldier , philosopher, naturalist, adviser to Roman Emperors Vespasian and successor Titus his tough son, the new Caesar of a few months, the latter a former comrade in the Germanic campaign and now the obese old man in poor health is admiral of the fleet , a honor bestowed primarily for his loyalty to the ruling family in actuality has very little nautical experience, luckily the Roman naval port is Misenum close to the disaster. Moreover Pliny a very curious man indeed prides himself in knowing all, his countless books testifies to this fact. Besides his talented nephew of 18, Pliny the Younger can help him observe the catastrophe, anyway a closer look would be better...However the book comes alive when the dead fall under the avalanche that buries Pompeii under rocks and ash, toxic clouds of gas arise over 20 miles in height, noon becomes midnight, darkness engulfs the stunned citizens, walking blindly in the deluge nearby Herculaneum too, the grim sounds travel to Rome 150 miles away as the excruciating heat flows down from the mountain frying the victims just six miles distant. Pompeii a
celebrated town of 20,000 disappears and is forgotten for seventeen centuries...A marvelous, exciting book the only fault is it's 200 pages too short I wanted to learn more about the doomed city and the people...a lost civilization well worth knowing.