Reviews
"Written in a lively style with all foreign language texts translated, the book will appeal to readers at all levels." - Choice (Highly Recommended), "Pompeii's Vesuvius victims—as well as the fields of museum studies and archaeology, along with more recent Italian politics—come to life here through plaster casts of those who lost their lives in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E. Dwyer (art history, Kenyon Coll.) invites the reader to experience the 1861 unification of Italy and what it meant for those working on Pompeian artifacts. While keeping the focus on the statues themselves, formed by pouring plaster into cavities where ancient Pompeians lay amid hardened ash, Dwyer adds information about the era of the eruption, comparative analyses from colleagues in the field, and archaeological and political context to create a holistic scope for deeper understanding of the lives of the victims of Pompeii and the people who brought them back to life. Dwyer thus expands the scope of the lessons from the Pompeii Museum and of general museum studies. VERDICT Scholars and armchair travelers alike will be fascinated by this distinctive book." — Library Journal, "Written in a lively style with all foreign language texts translated, the book will appeal to readers at all levels." -- Choice (Highly Recommended), "Dwyer''s scholarship is sound, his writing engaging." -John R. Clarke, University of Texas at Austin, American Journal of Archaeology, "This delightful volume is a welcome contribution to understanding what made Fiorelli and his methods so important, and to show how intimately archaeological method is linked to political and ideological change." -A. Wallace-Hadrill, Journal of Roman Archaeology, "Written in a lively style with all foreign language texts translated, the book will appeal to readers at all levels." --- Choice (Highly Recommended), "Dwyer's scholarship is sound, his writing engaging." --John R. Clarke, University of Texas at Austin, American Journal of Archaeology, "Dwyer's scholarship is sound, his writing engaging." -- John R. Clarke, University of Texas at Austin, American Journal of Archaeology, "Dwyer's scholarship is sound, his writing engaging." -John R. Clarke, University of Texas at Austin, American Journal of Archaeology, "This delightful volume is a welcome contribution to understanding what made Fiorelli and his methods so important, and to show how intimately archaeological method is linked to political and ideological change." --A. Wallace-Hadrill, Journal of Roman Archaeology, "Pompeii's Vesuvius victims--as well as the fields of museum studies and archaeology, along with more recent Italian politics--come to life here through plaster casts of those who lost their lives in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E. Dwyer (art history, Kenyon Coll.) invites the reader to experience the 1861 unification of Italy and what it meant for those working on Pompeian artifacts. While keeping the focus on the statues themselves, formed by pouring plaster into cavities where ancient Pompeians lay amid hardened ash, Dwyer adds information about the era of the eruption, comparative analyses from colleagues in the field, and archaeological and political context to create a holistic scope for deeper understanding of the lives of the victims of Pompeii and the people who brought them back to life. Dwyer thus expands the scope of the lessons from the Pompeii Museum and of general museum studies. VERDICT Scholars and armchair travelers alike will be fascinated by this distinctive book." -- Library Journal
