The story begins on the morning of the eruption of Mt Vesuvius with the people of Pompeii busy in their daily life and oblivious of the dangers of the ‘sleeping giant’.

As the drama unfolds we learn of the eruption and the panic of the people:
“The cloud hid the sun. It was dark. Tiny hot pebbles began to fall on the people of Pompeii.”
“Some people found pillows to cover their heads. Others hid inside their houses.”

The paintings which illustrate the book include the plaster casts of the bodies of people and a dog; all of whom were asphyxiated by the fumes of the volcano and their posture at the time of death recorded for posterity.

There is no mention of the reporter Pliny the Elder who was in charge of the fleet which attempted to rescue the inhabitants. He died on land from asphyxiation in Pompeii and it was his nephew Pliny the Younger who lived to write the history having declined the invitation to accompany him.

Suitable for children developing independent reading - simple sentences.

This book cherry picks interesting facts about the Rome and the Romans and for this reason its content is very engaging. The format of the book is to provide headline facts which are supported by a paragraph of text and an illustration. The illustrations are sourced from a wide variety of illustrators but they are all engaging paintings which help to bring the subject matter to life. Each page also includes a humorous cartoon strip by Mark Davis.

Did you know that:

“Some fashionable people admired delicate blonde hair, because it was unusual. Roman women used vinegar and lye (an early form of soap, made from urine and wood-ash) to bleach their own hair.”

“(Chariot) Racing rivalries sometimes led to riots. Races were organised by four separate teams – the Reds, Blues, Greens and Whites. Each team had a keen - and violent - group of fans.”

“Many people still have Roman names. Here are some popular ones: Diana (Moon Goddess), Patricia (noble) and Martin (God of War)

This book examines the history of the Colosseum which it describes as “a towering symbol of Rome’s power”, which “reminds us of their (the Romans) dark side”. The aim of this book is to solve a Roman mystery. By answering questions you get clues which help to eliminate the suspects. Most of the questions are educational. In answer to one of the questions we learn that “the Colosseum can hold an estimated 50,000 people. At the opening ceremony, over 9,000 animals were killed”. Due to the scale of the events at the Colosseum there was a huge amount of supporting activity throughout the Roman Empire. You will discover how the countryside supplied the water, via aqueducts, to flood the arena whilst holding naval battles. Foreign conquest provided a source of slaves which had to be transported to Rome. This is all before we get to the Gladiators training and thier big day in this iconic arena. So many aspects of Roman life are naturally covered by this topic. Review by Nigel Cross 21/10/07

Dorling Kindersley the publishers of this book produce extremely good educational books. Simon James is a well known author of Roman books and this book is full of accurate and well researched material. The book is illustrated almost entirely of stunning photographs which present real information rather than an artistic impression of life. This book contains 72 pages so unlike some children's books this is quite a substantial volume with a wide variety of topics. This book is more about Roman Life rather than ‘Ancient Rome' as titled. Each topic covers two pages and the text is relatively short and it is therefore quite suitable for older primary school children who want a more in-depth understanding of the Romans. The photographs, which are delightful, dominate each page and are accompanied by detailed notes. There is a glossary in the back of the book to help with unfamiliar terms and there is also a timeline of the Roman Emperors and information about where to find out more information.

History book review: 27/01/08

This book is produced in the form of a story which follows the Fort Commanders wife on her journey to see her friend. En route you discover things about life in and around the Roman Fort.

There is a lot of action and information is imparted through 'labelled'illustrations. Hard facts are supplied at the bottom of each page. The book makes the information easy for the child to absorb in an engaging way.

It covers the wider aspects of life in Fort very well: the baths, the toilets and the life of the commanders wife and children. It also provides insight for the younger reader about the position of a fort in a hostile environment. These are all important things which traditionally may have been overlooked in some children's books.

I would have liked a few more pages covering barrack life and military training which is very much underplayed but I guess this is done well in other books.

The illustrations are sketched and painted and they are well suited to younger children.