Who doesn’t love a book with cut-outs? And what a perfect reason to have them with a book about uncovering the art and architecture underneath the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

This glossy book begins with historical background about the area prior to the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79 CE. Volcanic debris poured down on Pompeii, quickly covering the city to a depth of more than 9 feet. The entire coast of the Bay of Naples between Herculaneum in the north and Stabiae to the south was devastated. An estimated two thousand people died in Pompeii, which was abandoned for almost as many years.

But the ash acted as a preservative. When a group of explorers rediscovered the site in 1748, they were surprised to find that under the thick layer of dust and debris Pompeii was mostly intact. Beautiful buildings, artifacts, artworks, and skeletons were discovered in the buried city.

This book notes the four styles of Pompeian painting, shows us the typical arrangement of a Pompeian house, and takes us on a tour of some of the houses that survived and tells us about the residents. It also gives other highlights of what was found during excavations, including temples, a forum, baths, theaters, and shopping area. There is less information about Herculaneum, as research on that area began much more recently.

A fold-out map of Pompeii concludes the book.

Evaluation: Pompeii is fascinating. I resisted going - I thought, oh, just ruins, so what. But the excavated area is so much more than “just ruins.” The outlines of an entire city with much of the art intact is just amazing, especially for how “modern” it all seemed. To paraphrase the tabloids: Ancient Pompeians - just like you and me!

I loved opening the cut-outs to see the difference between the remains of an uncovered building and what the original probably looked like in all its glory.

The book does omit much of the seeming Pompeian obsession with sex in general and penises in particular, but the book is therefore appropriate for all ages. ( )