“Sider’s book, qua book, is a beautiful thing. . . . The story of the Villa—its discovery, the excavation, the personalities, the discovery of the papyri, more personalities, the technical difficulties—is a riveting one, and Sider sets up the narrative well.”
~Journal of Roman Archaeology
“This most welcome publication whets our appetite for further Greek and Latin treasures that may still lie buried in the unexcavated parts of the Villa. . . . May this attractive little book signal the dawn of a new era at the foot of the volcano.”
~The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 126
“Professor Sider is an expert on the papyri from the villa and in this extremely informative book he describes the long and difficult history of attempts to unroll the papyri. . . . This is a fascinating book with a broad conspectus and explanation of this truly remarkable library.”
~Minerva
“The vicissitudes of [the rolls’] discovery . . . are told here with verve and scholarly insight. . . . [Sider] has contributed an outstanding introduction to the subject which deserves to be widely read. It is beautifully represented.”
~Journal of Classics Teaching
“Well written, with a pleasant mix of information and readability.”
~Bryn Mawr Classical Review