Description
Book SynopsisThe complete history of the Roman Empire - how it was created, how it was sustained in crisis, and how it shaped the world of its rulers and subjects, from the eighth century BCE to the dawn of the Middle Ages.Rome in the archaic age was a minor satellite between the Etruscan and Greek world. This book traces the expansion of Roman influence first within Italy, then around the Mediterranean world and finally, at breakneck speed, deep into Europe, out to the Atlantic, along the edge of the Sahara and down the Red Sea. There had been other empires that had expanded rapidly; what made Rome remarkable was that it managed to sustain its position for so long. Rome''s fall poses less of a mystery than its survival. Understanding this happened involves understanding the building blocks of imperial society - slavery, cities, the economy - and also the chaotic narrative of growth, civil war, stability, near disaster and then a managed downsizing. Rome: An Empire''s Story tells the tale of the gr
Trade ReviewReview from previous edition 'a magnificent achievement.' * Peter Jones,BBC History Magazine *
'A fine foundation for further learning about the Roman Empire.' * Booklist *
'[A] passionately told exploration of the history of Rome.' * Publishers Weekly *
'This is a marvellous book. Woolf provides a sweeping history of Rome's rise and fall, and asks the big questions of why and how this happened. Better yet, he offers no simple or simplistic answers, but instead well considered discussion of the evidence and how we try to understand it.' * Adrian Goldsworthy, author of How Rome Fell *
'Greg Woolf's new history will be a boon for the student and general reader alike.' * The Scotsman *
'Makes for exceptionally interesting and provocative reading.' * Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post *
'Could [this] be the best single-volume introduction to the history of ancient Rome? It is conceptual yet avoids the pitfalls of overgeneralizing, a difficult balance to strike. It also has a superb (useful rather than exhaustive) bibliography. A good measure of books such as this is whether they induce you to read or order other books on the same topic and this one did. A sure thing to make my "Best Books of 2012" list.' * Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution *
'Greg Woolf's dazzling account of ancient Rome's story will entrance the general reader ... [and] will equally impress historians ... the best general history of ancient Rome available in English.' * Ronald Mellor, Times Higher Education Supplement *
'A remarkable work of synthesis that describes the rise, flourishing and decline of the Roman Empire.' * David Gress, Wall Street Journal *
'It's a swift and easy read, filled with the kind of rich details designed to illustrate the major trends of Roman history for a general audience.' * Weekly Standard *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Maps Notes on Further Reading 1: The Whole Story 2: Empires of the Mind 3: Rulers of Italy 4: Imperial Ecology 5: Mediterranean Hegemony 6: Slavery and Empire 7: Crisis 8: At Heaven's Command? 9: The Generals 10: The Enjoyment of Empire 11: Emperors 12: Resourcing Empire 13: War 14: Imperial Identities 15: Recovery and Collapse 16: A Christian Empire 17: Things Fall Apart 18: The Roman Past and the Roman Future Notes Bibliography Glossary of Technical Terms Photographic Acknowledgements Inedx 1: The Whole Story 2: Empires of the Mind 3: Rulers of Italy 4: Imperial Ecology 5: Mediterranean Hegemony 6: Slavery and Empire 7: Crisis 8: At Heaven's Command? 9: The Generals 10: The Enjoyment of Empire 11: Emperors 12: Resourcing Empire 13: War 14: Imperial Identities 15: Recovery and Collapse 16: A Christian Empire 17: Things Fall Apart 18: The Roman Past and the Roman Future Notes Bibliography Glossary of Technical Terms Index
