Rather than present it as a window to the past, the authors of this volume explore Pompeii as a modern obsession, in which the sites function as mirrors of the present. Through cultural appropriation and projection, literary artists of the last three centuries have made the ancient catastrophe their own, expressing contemporary concerns in diverse media. This lavishly illustrated volume surveys the legacy of Pompeii in the modern imagination. By Victoria C. Gardner Coates, Kenneth Lapatin, and Jon L. Seydl. Getty. Hardcover. 256 pages.