A HISTORY OF ANCIENT ROME masterfully tells the story of Rome from its inception as a small Italian village to the sprawling empire ruled by the fourteen emperors. From the humble, if not treacherous, beginnings of Romulus to the fall of the Republic with Julius Caesar SPQR goes behind the scenes of the greatest imperial power the ancient world had ever seen.
Rome was a land built on mythical battles taking place in Italy until one leader took the idea of expansion and annexation to another level. As Sicily falls into the hands of the Romans all the way to the fall of Britain, Beard walks the reader through the progression of Roman rule.
PLEASE This is a summary and analysis of the book and NOT the original book.
My fault for ordering highlights instead of the full book. It is written in sort of a smart assed way. If you're interested in the era and want a summary just go to Wikipedia. Read the real book or forget it.
This book is an amazing crash course in the history of Rome. If you don't have time to read through Beard's book, this summary is an amazing alternative. Every page is jam packed with excitement and insight. Couldn't have asked for more.