Author:The Younger Pliny,Betty Radice,Betty Radice
A prominent lawyer and administrator, Pliny (c. AD 61-113) was also a prolific letter-writer, who numbered among his correspondents such eminent figures as Tacitus, Suetonius and the Emperor Trajan, as well as a wide circle of friends and family. His lively and very personal letters address an astonishing range of topics, from a deeply moving account of his uncle's death in the eruption that engulfed Pompeii, to observations on the early Christians - 'a desperate sort of cult carried to extravagant lengths' - from descriptions of everyday life in Rome, with its scandals and court cases, to Pliny's life in the country.
A more lucid and penetrating analysis of an urban slum would be hard to imagine... A most subtle and powerful evocation of life and labour
—— Jeremy Seabrook , GuardianA brilliant and searching study... I do not believe that even Henry Mayhew could have done greater or more sympathetic justice to the memory of 'Campbell Bunk' and its inhabitants
—— Victor Neuberg , British Book NewsThis is an enthralling book which comes as near as possible to understanding an urban community it its environment. It deserves to become a classic
—— Planning Perspectives'A truly delicious history, his homage to the humble sweet is a lovingly detailed account that can't be resisted'
—— Sunday Herald'Full of delights...while the book gets its structure from serious research, it's built on a foundation of joy'
—— The New York Times'Bursting with jolly anecdotes and compellingly useless information... a most enjoyable book'
—— Mail on Sunday