In the Shadow of Vesuvius

‘A fascinating, compelling and excellent biography of the two great Plinys of Ancient Rome, as well as a celebration of nature, a study of literature and the human soul, and a lens into Roman society itself … This work of both scholarship and entertainment, arranged in Plinyesque seasons rather than strict chronology, is a delight that befits their high standards.’ Simon Sebag Montefiore

‘Starts with an erupting volcano – and then gets more exciting. A wonderfully rich, witty, insightful and wide-ranging portrait of the two Plinys … and their world.’ Sarah Bakewell

'Daisy Dunn’s book is an absolute delight. Meticulously researched and beautifully crafted, it shines a clear beam of light into the private lives of Pliny the Elder and Younger.' Giles Milton

‘Immensely entertaining and readable …. Dunn has given us a delightful new biography … Thoroughly recommended’ Sunday Times

‘Never less than compelling … Without ever veering into historical fiction, she consistently succeeds in bringing what might otherwise seem dusty and remote to vivid life … A portrait of the Roman Empire that gives the reader something of the shiver down the spine that Herculaneum can inspire’ Tom Holland, Literary Review

‘It is a story …retold with vivid flair…Dunn knits [the two Plinys’] lives together well and analyses the influence that they would have later on scholars from the Italian Renaissance to the English Romantic poets’ The Times

‘An enthralling and ambitious book … Dunn has a great eye for a story, and writes wonderfully’ The Daily Telegraph

‘If only Daisy Dunn’s book had been around back when I was an aspiring classicist … Dunn is a good writer, with some of the easy erudition of Mary Beard … Her translations of both Plinys are graceful and precise … Her enthusiasm, together with her eye for the odd, surprising detail, wins you over’ New York Times