In AD 79, Italy’s Mount Vesuvius erupted and volcanic ash, lava, and rubble blanketed the Roman city of Pompeii. For nearly two thousand years, the city and its secrets remained buried, until modern excavations revealed the city had been incredibly well-preserved. The Pompeii Pop-Up is a sumptuous, six-spread pop-up book that builds a three-dimensional picture of Pompeian life before the disaster; it examines the events of that fateful day and the resultant destruction; and it shows how the innovative archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli unveiled the hidden city. Pop-ups include a bustling Pompeii street scene, a reproduction of a Roman villa with a cutaway to its interior, Mount Vesuvius in full eruption, and a view into how an excavation is conducted. Booklets, gatefolds, and a pull-out tray of Pompeii collectables and recreations, such as a wearable gladiator mask and a Roman amphitheater allow the reader to enjoy the intriguing aspects of Ancient Roman culture, and Pompeii and its political, commercial, and cultural climate under Roman rule.

Replete with detailed three-dimensional pop-ups, realistic illustrations, and informative and lively text, The Pompeii Pop-Up dynamically recounts the story of a thriving city tragically and quickly extinguished.