THE TOWER

Part archaeological adventure, part philological mystery and a totallythumping good read! 70 AD. A group of Roman soldiers crossing the Saharadesert is destroyed by a ferocious and mysterious presence hidden in asolitary tower at the extreme borders of the sea of sand. The solesurvivor, the Etruscan seer Avile Vipinas, is inexplicably saved by thesound of his silver sistrum. Nineteen centuries later, young Americanscholar Philip Garrett is investigating his father's disappearance in thedesert 10 years earlier when he discovers the house of Avile Vipinas inthe underground ruins of Pompeii, sealed by the earthquake of 79 AD.Theancient seer, before his death, had tried to describe the horrificpresence in the Tower of Solitude and to make the first faltering steps toits destruction . . . Who is the ancient civilization - older than theoldest known - that created this tower? What is its purpose? Afterconquering the ancient world with his bestselling novels of antiquity,Valerio Manfredi has written a page-turning period thriller with anancient twist.