Pompeii

Robert Harris conjures a world on the verge of catastrophe with his signature grace and wisdom.

The wealthiest people in the Roman Empire are lounging in their opulent homes along the Mediterranean coast, savoring the final few days of summer. The biggest warship in the world is safely moored at Misenum. The coastal resorts of Baiae, Herculaneum, and Pompeii are where the visitors are spending their money.

However, the easygoing way of life and beautiful weather conceal an approaching apocalypse, and just one guy is concerned. The massive aqueduct known as the Aqua Augusta, which supplies fresh water to a quarter of a million people living in nine cities around the Bay of Naples, is now under the management of youthful engineer Marcus Attilius Primus. His forerunner vanished from sight. For the first time in decades, springs are failing. And now there's a problem on the sixty-mile main line of the Augusta, somewhere on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, north of Pompeii.

Decent, pragmatic, and uncorruptible, Attilius assures renowned scholar Pliny, who is in charge of the fleet, that he can fix the aqueduct before the reservoir runs out. His intention is to visit Pompeii, organize an expedition, and then depart for the location he feels is the source of the problem. However, Pompeii turns out to be a violent and corrupt town, and Attilius quickly learns that strong forces, both natural and man-made, are at work and are threatening to destroy him.

The best-selling author of Archangel and Fatherland, Robert Harris, skillfully and intelligently recreates a society on the verge of catastrophe.