β Scribed by Harris, Robert
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Ancient Rome is the setting for the superb new novel from Robert Harris, author of the number one bestsellers *Fatherland*, *Enigma* and *Archangel*.
Where else to enjoy the last days of summer than on the beautiful Bay of Naples. All along the coast, the Roman Empires richest citizens are relaxing in their luxurious villas. The worlds largest navy lies peacefully at anchor in Misenum. The tourists are spending their money in the seaside resorts of Baiae, Herculaneum and Pompeii.
Only one man is worried. The engineer Marius Primus has just taken charge of the Aqua Augusta, the enormous aqueduct that brings fresh water to a quarter of a million people in nine towns around the Bay. Springs are failing for the first time in generations. His predecessor has disappeared. And now there is a crisis on the Augustas sixty-mile main line somewhere to the north of Pompeii, on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Marius decent, practical, incorruptible promises Pliny, the famous scholar who commands the navy, that he can repair the aqueduct before the reservoir runs dry. But as he heads out towards Vesuvius he is about to discover there are forces that even the worlds only superpower cant control.
*Pompeii* recreates in spellbinding detail one of the most famous natural disasters of all time. And by focusing on the characters of an engineer and a scientist, it offers an entirely original perspective on the Roman world.
*From the Hardcover edition.*
π SIMILAR VOLUMES
Engineer Marcus Attilius Primus has taken charge of the Aqua Augusta, the aqueduct which brings water to a quarter of a million people. His predecessor has disappeared. When a crisis strikes the Augustaβs main line, Attilus discovers that there are forces which even the Roman Empire canβt control.