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“A fascinating biography, 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 is a delight.”
— Simon Sebag Montefiore, New York Times bestselling author
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“A British classicist’s lively dual biography of two eminent Romans.”
— New York Times Book Review
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“Dunn knits their 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 (London)
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“An immensely entertaining and readable portrait of the younger Pliny. Thoroughly recommended.”
— Sunday Times (London)
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“An enthralling and ambitious book. Dunn has a great eye for a story and writes wonderfully.”
— Daily Telegraph (London)
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“A portrait of the Roman Empire that gives the reader something of the shiver down the spine that Herculaneum can inspire.”
— Literary Review
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“A rich, entertaining dual biography of two fascinating men, a revealing portrait of ancient Rome, and a celebration of nature.”
— Booklist (starred review)
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“A book that feels less like a biography than an appreciation of both men…Enthusiastic and vividly drawn.”
— Library Journal
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“The Roman Empire comes to life through the biographies of two influential men…A sensitive, spirited investigation of the ancient world.”
— Kirkus Reviews
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“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, author of How to Live
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“Dunn’s supple prose captures the drama of Pliny’s life, full of erupting volcanoes, mad emperors, and stoic philosophers, following him from Northern Italy to the Near East. Along the way, she evokes the smells, sights, and sounds of everyday life.”
— Martin Puchner, author of The Written World
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“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, author of Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare