Ghosts of Vesuvius : a new look at the last days of Pompeii, how towers fall, and other strange connections / Charles Pellegrino.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 463-465) and index.

In the beginning -- The gods themselves -- Time gate : the coevolution of volcanoes and life -- Then listen, Josephus, for I digress -- Swords and sandals : Spartacus at Vesuvius -- Cities in amber -- The day after -- Threads -- Testament -- Vesuvius in New York.

An examination of the disasters at Pompeii and Herculaneum discusses what forensic archaeology and new findings in volcano physics reveal about modern events, including the "collapse column" at the World Trade Center.