In the Shadow of Vesuvius: A Life of Pliny by Daisy Dunn

This is a compelling read that may be enjoyed by our older pupils, especially those studying the Classical Civilisation course at GCSE or A-Level.

In this dazzling, lively new literary biography, Daisy Dunn weaves together the lives of two Roman greats: Pliny the Elder, author of Natural History, and his nephew Pliny the Younger, who inherited his uncle's notebooks and intellectual legacy.

Breathing vivid life back into the Plinys, Daisy Dunn charts the extraordinary lives of two outstanding minds and their lasting legacy on the world.

'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