There have been nearly thirty major eruptions since AD 79, but none has matched the cataclysm of the eruption which destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum within hours. Since then Vesuvius has been speculated upon, feared and celebrated by writers and artists and hordes of visitors. It is unquestionably a Wonder of the World.
For Greeks and Romans Vesuvius was a fearsome sacred place. Spartacus launched his slave rebellion from its crater. The Enlightenment brought the serious study of the phenomenon of volcanic activity. Its famous visitors included Goethe and Mozart, Byron and the Shelleys, Madame de Stael and Lady Hamilton. Painters popular and serious (from Wright of Derby to Andy Warhol) made its exploding or dormant outline an instantly recognisable icon.
Vesuvius has remained a focus for tourism and modern life. At the last big eruption in 1944 the Allied forces assumed they were witnessing the detonation of an immense bomb. Rampant modern development means that millions could be at risk when it next erupts. As Dickens said, Vesuvius is 'the genius of the scene ... biding its terrible time'.
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Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Content
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 Early Days
- Chapter 2 Miracle or Science?
- Chapter 3 William Hamilton – made by Vesuvius
- Chapter 4 Romantics
- Chapter 5 Making Vesuvius
- Chapter 6 Real Geology, New Focus
- Chapter 7 Vesuvius and the Wider World
- Visiting Vesuvius at home and abroad
- Further Reading
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgements
- Index
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Yes, you can access Vesuvius by Gillian Darley in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & World History. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.