A fine read
Anyone who is interested in the history, archaeology, or societies of the ancient Roman world will find Peter Heather's "The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History" well worth reading.
Heather so skillfully combines his detailed knowledge of the past with artful story-telling, that your tour of the Roman World from the time of Julius Caesar to the founding of Europe, a history spanning 500 years, is never boring, tedious, or dry.
Instead, Heather offers a rich combination of historical, social, political, and economic insights into the fabled growth and decline of one of the world's greatest empires that never ceases to fascinate as it draws the reader into the rich fabric of the Roman world.
This "new" history offers fresh interpretations of the costs and effectiveness of Roman expansion and domination, and differentiates between Roman "PR" and factual reporting of events that shaped this chapter of history. Like a good anthropologist, Heather does not simply take the Roman accounts at face value, but compares recorded Roman history with information taken from other civilizations to produce a clear picture of the events and actions that swelled the power of Rome, and ultimately bore implications for the downfall.
Included a small treasure-trove of add-ins that will be of great use to both novice and expert reader. Numerous maps and references help those with limited expertise in ancient civilizations place major cities, battles and locations of significance. Otherwise obscure names and relationships have been made clear through the inclusion of a handy dramatis personae. A complete glossary translates Roman, Germanic, and other obscure terms for the reader. The inclusion of a timeline events from c350 to 493 and a chronology of leaders helps set things in perspective. Numerous photographs of architectural and archaelogical significance add dimension to the reader's understanding of the ancient society described in Heather's pages.
Peter Heather's The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History is a definate "must-read" for any history buff or student of the ancient past.
