The Secrets of Vesuvius

Time Quest

by Sara C. Bisel

Fascinating illustrations, maps, diagrams, and gripping "you are there" text captures the imaginations of young readers and puts them at the site of the amazing rediscovery of a once-great vanished ancient civilization. Full color. Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies; Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Archaeology, Ancient History, Childrens, Historical

Hardcover

First published March 27, 1991

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book focuses on ancient town Herculaneum. After the eruption of Vesuvius in August 79AD, the town was buried under 65 feet of ash and pumice. Nearby Pompeii was under 12 feet deep. Herculaneum artifacts, arts, and skeletons were well preserved. Well workers of Resina, a new town above Herculaneum, accidentally found a theater while working in 1709. An Austrian prince heard of the discovery and looted statutes and marbles.

I like this book and learned a lot about Herculaneans. A part of the book is told as historical fiction of a fourteen year old slave girl and an infant from a well to do family. Their skeletons were found along with hundred others hiding in boat chambers near the waterfront.

[Susan Jo Grassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very small book that I bought years ago for my son when his class was studying Roman history. Although it was written in 1990 it was still very interesting and makes me want to read more on the subject of Herculaneum, the neighboring town to Pompeii, destroyed when Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. Herculaneum was completely buried under 65 feet of ash and pumice while Pompeii was only covered by 12 feet so it was uncovered earlier. The problem with Herculaneum is that a modern city now sits on top of the ruins. The glory of Herculaneum is the fact that the skeletal remains of many of it's citizens were still in tact and could be reverently studied.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book mostly focuses on Herculeneum rather than Pompeii, but I think Herculeneum is generally overlooked, so it was a welcome change. Lots of good illustrations. The plaster casts of people from Pompeii are creepy, especially the dog.

[Torie Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just like I remember it from 3rd grade. I can appreciate as an adult how they told the story when they explain their findings on the beach.

[Nefertari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read this book for the first time since I read it over and over as a girl. Loved every word, and I love how Bisel works in the fictional story of Petronia, the young slave girl who dies after fleeing to the sea with her mistress's child. It's a story that's rich with detail, and Bisel cuts in with chapters explaining the times, the volcano's explosion, and what the archaeologists discovered about the histories of each person unearthed in the volcanic rubble.

Interestingly enough, now that I'm an adult and read more complex books, I realized that Bisel must have named Petronia for the slave woman in Herculaneum who petitioned the courts for her freedom, records of which were inexplicably preserved by the volcano. One wonders if she got it, in the end.

[Nick Hron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the volcano called Mount Vesuvius that erupted in A.D. 79, and about the people who dug up the ancient cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. It tells you about dead people that were buried, like a young girl holding a baby. They also dug up history about the city from when it was covered by all the ash and lava to modern time. The book also has a mini story in it that shows what the people might have thought and been doing before the volcano erupted. This book is interesting to read because it's got lots of facts about the city and why the volcano might have exploded.

[Kim Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was intrigued with this story and how the author told it. She went from her current experience to what she thought the day Herculaneaum was buried would have been like and back again. Very well written. Makes me want to learn more. We are traveling to Italy soon and planned on going to Pompeii but now I want to go to Herculaneum as well.

[Adrian Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was 11 and still have vivid memories about the experiences. Totally captivating and beautifully illustrated. Yes, there is a bit more emphasis on Herculaneum, but Pompeii has gotten enough of the spotlight for it's own good :P. Time for Herc to get some. :D

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom had a whole series of these books that I read over and over again as a young girl. I came across them when I was helping my mom move her classroom and instantly claimed them as my own. (Sorry students!)

I hadn't read this book for over twenty years, and I was surprised to discover that it was about Herculaneum. All this time I'd misremembered and thought it was about Pompeii. Lol! It definitely sealed in my desire to visit those ancient cities, which I did in 2011. We spent the whole day exploring the two ancient sites and I was like a kid in candy shop. My poor friend was stuck with me hollering every other minute, "take a picture of me here! Now here!" It's so well preserved that you can easily imagine you're living in ancient Italy.

I loved how the author pieced together a plausible story from the bones. It definitely made me a bit teary-eyed. I can't even imagine the horror those poor people suffered.

One fact I found interesting was learning how ancient Romans had better teeth than us. Surprising, huh? It's because they didn't eat sugar. The only sugar they had was honey and it was too expensive to eat frequently.

It's fun revisiting favorite books from my childhood. It makes my heart happy.

[Courtney Pickford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book captivated my imagination at 8 years old and won my heart for history, archeology, and especially Herculaneum. Fabulous overlay of the learnings from excavation with fictional accounts of the lives being studied.

[Linda Harkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

includes some excellent photographs

[Theo Girvan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it.