Adrian Murdoch – författare

‘Finally, a book that puts Herculaneum back on the map!’ – Dr Daisy Dunn‘What an extraordinary tour de force!' – Dr Sophie Hay‘This is an absolute must-read…’ – Dr Jessica VennerOn a beach near Naples in October 79 CE, more than 300 people stand on a beach, hoping for an evacuation that will never come. Vesuvius has erupted, and there is no time to escape. They will all be killed instantly in the suffocating, hellishly hot devastation that follows.This was the end of their town, but it is not the end of their story. Neighbouring the world-renowned Pompeii, the town of Herculaneum is the neglected victim of Vesuvius. It was uniquely preserved in the aftermath of the eruption, and in many ways gives us unparalleled glimpses into the past.Echoes of Ash tells the fascinating story of Herculaneum and the people who lived there for the first time. By looking through the eyes of such figures as the Weaver and the Slave Girl, the Soldier and the Boxer, and by investigating the relevant buildings and the archaeological discoveries of the past twenty years, acclaimed historian Adrian Murdoch builds a historical picture that is more colourful, complete and alive than has ever been possible before.

In AD 9 half of Rome's Western army was ambushed in a German forest and annihilated. Three legions, three cavalry units and six auxiliary regiments - some 25,000 men - were wiped out. It dealt a body blow to the empire's imperial pretensions and was Rome's greatest defeat. No other battle stopped the Roman empire dead in its tracks.Although one of the most significant and dramatic battles in European history, this is also one which has been largely overlooked. Drawing on primary sources and a vast wealth of new archaeological evidence, Adrian Murdoch brings to life the battle itself, the historical background and the effects of the Roman defeat as well as exploring the personalities of those who took part.

Since his death on a Persian battlefield in AD 363, the violent end of the Emperor Julian (Flavius Claudius Julianus, 332-363) has become synonymous with the death of paganism. Vilified throughout history as the 'Apostate', the young philosopher-warrior was the last and arguably the most potent threat to Christianity. "The Last Pagan" examines Julian's emergence as the sole survivor of a political dynasty soaked in blood, and traces his journey from an aristocratic Christian childhood to his initiation into pagan cults and his mission to establish paganism as the dominant faith of the Roman world.