Subtitled "The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum," this book is an account of the catastrophic effects of the Mount Vesuvius eruption on August 24, 79 A.D. Authors De Carolis and Patricelli, both involved in archaeological research in southern Italy, draw heavily on science, firsthand reports, literature and folklore to produce a natural history intriguing for scholars and general readers alike. With 120 color illustrations.  (ITL568, $29.95)