The Lost World of Pompeii is not a mummy book, but it is relevant to the world of mummies (in the most general sense of the term). It takes the reader on a trip back to the time when Pompeii was a thriving Roman town...heading dead-on for one of the world's worst natural disasters. The ruins lay almost-forgotten (save for a mention in a few ancient texts and save for the occasional scavenger) until the town (and air pockets where its citizens had died and decomposed) was rediscovered centuries later.

The authors, affiliated with the World Monuments Fund (Pompeii is on the WMF's watchlist of endangered sites, for good reason with over two million visitors a year), briefly describe the history of Pompeii, leading up to the eruption on AD 79. 

Their description is concise but powerful and is based on the most recent research into the volcanic surge. They then describe in detail the stops and starts involved in the rediscovery and excavation of Pompeii, incorporating both primary and secondary sources in their account. Especially related to the subject of mummy studies is the contribution of Giuseppe Fiorelli who, in 1875 became the Director of Antiquities in Rome (and therefore, Pompeii); he developed a new excavation method. According to Amery and Curran, he "realized that a great deal of information was being lost, especially about the upper stories of buildings, which had collapsed, and about the bodies found mysteriously floating in the middle of the debris.... To this day there is no better way to appreciate fully the victims brought back to life through what is now known as Fiorelli's process. This process was later used to reproduce the forms left from the decomposition of other organic materials, such as wooden shutters and tree stumps."

The largest section of the book is devoted to "Voices from a lost world," which describes daily life based on what has been deduced from the archaeological discoveries. This is where the story of Pompeii comes to life (the photo of "mummified" bread, cut into pieces, ready to sell...until it was frozen in time by the eruption is haunting).

Throughout, the book is filled with hundreds of beautiful photographs (taken by photo-journalist Chris Caldicott) and archival material (some photos, some paintings). 

If you long to know more about Pompeii, this book is clearly up-to-date and ready to deliver the ultimate guide to the history of the town.