Pottery is often the best preserved and, sadly, sometimes only available access point to the world of the ancients. Like other volumes in this series of The World of Art, it is another essential book for those interested in ancient vases as a way of knowing more about the Ancient Greek world - mythology, religion, war, everyday life etc. Glossy, high quality paper, erudite text and an abundance of b&w photos - more than 300 - leave all other books on the subject superfluous. It also has an extensive bibliography and each photo is annotated, including which museum you can actually see the exhibit. With the volumes on red-figure vases, also by Boardman, this set is magnificent.