The Complete Pompeii is the ultimate resource guide to the ancient town. 360 illustrations (320 in color), this volume is impressive.

Highly, highly recommended!

Pompeii Awakened presents a thorough background to the ancient site and fills in many obscure details about its rediscovery, including what happened to Pompeii during Mussolini's rise and fall from power. Excellent!

Pompeii: Art and Treasures of a Buried City is stunning! A huge book, filled with exquisite photos and informative text about archaeological discoveries, this is a Pompeii treasure itself! Don't miss it!

Pompeii : The Living City recreates the bustling life of this Roman town, as well as the eruption

Vesuvius A.D.79 Photo-filled, this  concise account includes the clearest and most scientific information about what really happened when Mt. Vesuvius erupted. Detailed information and pictures about the discovery of human remains. 

Pompeii A well-researched, very readable novel about Pompeii life leading up to (and including) the eruption. Recommended for those wanting to learn more about Pompeii through fiction! 

The Lost World of Pompeii contains an excellent account of the eruption as well as the archaeological excavations. It also includes more than 150 new photographs. Published in association with the World Monuments Fund, it offers readers a comprehensive look at both Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Antiquity Recovered: The Legacy of Pompeii and Herculaneum thirteen academic essays published by the Getty Museum press, covering a range of topics

Cities of Vesuvius: Pompeii and Herculaneum This book presents a picture of life at the time Vesuvius erupted in a clear and vivid account: nonfiction that reads like a novel. Highly recommended!

 Gladiators at Pompeii  Well-written look at a fascinating subject. Covers the details of gladiator combat in general as well as the spectacles at Pompeii. Includes a few pages on female gladiators. 

Pompeii Written by the superintendent of the ruins (with many others), this is an excellent guidebook to take on a trip to the ruins. It also is the perfect reference for anyone who wants more information about the various buildings and archaeological discoveries at Pompeii. 

Women and Beauty in Pompeii explores the nature of female beauty in ancient Rome by studying depictions of heavenly and earthly women in Pompeian art. The first section discuss the care of the body, while the second section discusses adornments and explains how such items were made and distributed in the Roman world.

Pompeii by Alison Cooley examines the impact of science, archaeology, and politics upon interpretations of Pompeii over the last 250 years, including the ways in which vulcanology has transformed our picture of its last moments. Also by the same author is Pompeii: A Sourcebook which is designed more for students and provides excerpts from primary sources on Pompeii.

Ghosts of Vesuvius : A New Look at the Last Days of Pompeii, How Towers Fall, and Other Strange Connections A strange, but completely fascinating look at Pompeii, the twin towers, and other connections. The author relates many Pompeii stories, rarely written elsewhere, but provides scant documentation. Still, an interesting perspective on the ancient tragedy.

Pompeii is the book that came from a BBC documentary about the ancient city (and also shown on the Discovery Channel in the US). This book provides a massive amount of details about the city before, during and after the eruption of Vesuvius. Not to be missed!

And don't forget Herculaneum, Pompeii's neighboring city. One of the best books on the subject, good for both teens and adults, is The Town of Hercules: A Buried Treasure Trove. Clearly written, and well-illustrated, it explains what happened when Vesuvius erupted and the results of archaeological excavations: not only the artifacts but what the discoveries have revealed about the lives of both the wealthy and working people. An earlier edition by the same author is Herculaneum: Italy's Buried Treasure. Either one is highly recommended!

 Bodies from the Ash tells the story of the victims of Pompeii. After Mt. Vesuvius erupted on August 24 and 25, AD 79, Pompeii lay buried until 12 feet of volcanic ash and debris for the next 1700 years. Some attempts were made to excavate the town, but no one was certain of its exact location. Finally, in the mid-1700s, the town was rediscovered. Along with the desired treasures (statues, marble, jewelry) that excavators sought for wealthy patrons, workers also uncovered many skeletons of people who could not escape. At first, these skeletons were placed in locations within the Pompeian ruins as curiosity objects. Later, under the direction of Giuseppe Fiorelli, the hollow space around some skeletons was used as a mold. Workers poured plaster of  Paris into the cavity; when the outer shell of the mold was chipped away, the plaster body of a person remained—an imprint of that person’s last moment alive. By studying these individuals and the possessions that they had with them, Fiorelli and later scientists attempted to piece together their stories. Bodies from the Ash describes what they have found and the stories they have told. Some 50 photographs illustrate the book, many of them rare and many from the photography archives of the Pompeii Archaeological Site. By studying these individuals and the possessions that they had with them, Fiorelli and later scientists attempted to piece together their stories. Bodies from the Ash describes what they have found and the stories they have told. Some 50 photographs illustrate the book, many of them rare and many from the photography archives of the Pompeii Archaeological Site. By studying these individuals and the possessions that they had with them, Fiorelli and later scientists attempted to piece together their stories. Bodies from the Ash describes what they have found and the stories they have told. Some 50 photographs illustrate the book, many of them rare and many from the photography archives of the Pompeii Archaeological Site.  

In Search of Pompeii covers the territory of Pompeii with well-crafted drawings.

Ashen Sky: The Letters of Pliny The Younger on the Eruption of Vesuvius a well- illustrated version of the letters

Escape from Pompeii
gives a shorter fictional account of the tragedy at Pompeii with vivid illustrations. based on the latest research. Amazon says: "With her dramatic illustrations and a historical note, this story makes an exciting introduction to a fascinating subject."

Pompeii (Roman World) takes young readers into the real world of Pompeians: their homes (furniture, jewelry, clothing) and their shops and other buildings, including the gladiators' arena. Well-illustrated. 

 Pompeii...Buried Alive! (Step-Into-Reading, Step 4)  is a good introduction for beginning readers who want to know about the famous tragedy.

The Buried City of Pompeii: Picture Book A compelling account, partly told in an imaginary first-person of the two days that Vesuvius erupted. Many factual sidebars are included, bringing kids up-to-date with the latest research. Excellent photos and drawings enhance the text.

The Pirates of Pompeii is part of the Roman Mysteries fiction series. This fast paced book will appeal to kids who like their history in more dramatic doses.

Vacation Under The Volcano (Magic Tree House 13) A fanciful look at Pompeii for kids who enjoy the Magic Treehouse series.

Earthly Remains: The History and Science of Preserved Human Bodies An excellent chapter entitled "Impressions of the dead" which discusses the mummies of Pompeii (7 pp., 2 photos) among others. An excellent survey of mummies that gives a broader picture.