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Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire
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History Ancient and Modern
Review date: 2008-11-02 Rating: 10 out of 10
As someone whose knowledge of Roman History was limited to Julius Caesar, Hadrian's Wall and the mistaken belief that the "Lays of Ancient Rome" was a report on the early history of prostitution, I read this book having seen the odd episode of the series on TV. What a pleasure it was to learn just how much we owe to the Romans and how salutary to know how little has changed after 2000 years. Wealth remains the key to power, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. While humankind in pursuit of power invoke dieties they are but smokescreens to cover their own selfish ambition, greed and egotism. History is written by the victorious and what has been interpreted as history is constantly rewritten by new generations from a different perspective. The story of Christian persecution and later absorption into the Roman state - and the latter's perversion of the Christian message for the benefit of the state - provide uncomfortable reading for the atheistic messages of Hitchens et.al who blame religion rather than humans for the warring state of the world. The Romans not only killed their perceived enemies, they killed each other. In Nero's case his wife, her unborn child and his own mother were amongst the victims. The battles for power were hardly unique, simply a foretaste of power politics out of control and often in the name of liberty. This book is a superbly written piece of narrative history with very little interpretation which makes the reader want to seek out the ancient sources referred to in the many footnotes. This is a publication worthy of the BBC and far longer lasting than recent trash that has grabbed the headlines. An excellent read. An excellent buy.
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Reviews
a great read!
Review date: 2008-09-08 Rating: 10 out of 10
I have just returned from a week sitting on a sun lounger by the side of a pool.
I intended to part read the book on holiday and finish it upon my return.
once i started to read i could not stop & finished the book in 3 days.
The book is very informative but not too heavy going.
Lots of detail & well researched, i almost felt i was there watching the romans ultimatly self distruct!.
A superb read. a+
First class introducton
Review date: 2008-07-19 Rating: 10 out of 10
This must the best introduction to Roman history written so far, and one not likely to be superseded in a hurry. Not only that but it has features which can benefit anyone well read in the subject since it casts a new light on some of the most important events in that history.
Well Worth Reading
Review date: 2008-05-06 Rating: 10 out of 10
For anyone interested in the history and events that took place in the Roman Empire this book is like manna from heaven. The author relates Roman history in such a way that the book almost reads like a novel, being both exciting and educational. But if truth be told this is far more interesting than any novel.
Rome was after all one of the greatest, if not the greatest empire ever known. There are figures from its past that stick out like beacons. Probably the greatest of them all Julius Caesar and of course his main adversary Pompey. Others out of the many notables include Mark Antony, Nero, Claudius and many more.
There were also Rome's great buildings. The Forum, the circus maximus and the Flavian amphitheatre, now more commonly known as the Colosseum, all built to show potential enemies the might that was Rome. Then on to the true might of Rome, its Legions. An army that comprised the greatest fighting force the world had ever seen. Because of their discipline and rigid training they were at that period in history, virtually unbeatable.
The author pulls all these facts together beautifully to make a book that is not only informative and educational but also high readable as well.
A wonderful read
Review date: 2008-03-12 Rating: 10 out of 10
The true story of Rome is more fasinating, grand, treacherous, heroic, futile and inspiring than any film has yet portrayed. This is an astonishingly rivetting read with an equally impressive bibliography, that I couldn't put down from start to finish. An absolute must for anyone remotely interested or curious in ancient Roman times!
Product Details/Specifications
Authors:
Simon Baker
Recording label: BBC Books
Manufacturer: BBC Books
EAN: 9781846072840
Binding: Paperback
Dewey decimal number: 937.06
ISBN: 1846072840
Number of items: 1
Number of pages: 448
Publication date: 2007-06-07
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Unknown)
Language: English (Published)