This book was assigned for my Pompeii and Herculaneum culture course through Villanova University. One of the positives of this book is that the chapters are written with information about the history of Herculaneum, but with the addition of wonder and speculation of how people must have felt and lived during the time they were present in this town. The imaginative tone of the book is the reason I found it so easy to read even though it was an assigned textbook. I would have read this book on my own if I had not had it assigned for class once I had begun reading it, I may have read it faster than the initial assignments since I was sticking to only reading the pages assigned as I went. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who wants to get an introduction to the city of Herculaneum and learn about the town and the archaeology. ( )