Edward Bulwer-Lytton was a prominent English writer and politician in the 19th century.  Bulwer-Lytton is notable for being one of the first authors to earn a considerable fortune from just his books.  Bulwer-Lytton also was responsible for famous sayings such as "pursuit of the almighty dollar" and "the pen is mightier than the sword".  Some of his most famous works include The Last Days of Pompeii, The Coming Race, and Zanoni.

The Last Days of Pompeii, published in 1834, is a historical novel that was inspired by Karil Briullov''s famous painting with the same title.  The book follows the lives of Glaucus and Ione, two Greeks who are set to marry one another.  Will they escape Pompeii before it is destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius?