Roman Empire

by Nigel Rodgers

A complete history of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, chronicling the story of the most important and influential civilization the world has ever known
- An authoritative account of Roman imperial, military and political power, and of classical Rome’s far-reaching influence on Western culture, architecture and art
- 1000 detailed photographs, fine art paintings, illustrations, reconstructions, family trees, maps, battleplans, architectural drawings and cross-sections reveal the glory and the might of ancient Rome
-Discover the scandals that shocked ancient Rome – the notorious lives of emperors Caligula and Nero, and the famous affairs of Mark Antony and Cleopatra

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World History, Ancient History, Reference

512 pages, Hardcover

First published June 25, 2006

About the author

Nigel Rodgers, who has a degree in history and history of art from Cambridge University, has written widely on history, philosophy and art. (Barnes and Noble)

Reviews

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good history of the Roman Empire from founding to its demise in 476 CE. It's difficult to adequately cover 13 centuries of history of the known Western world in one book, but this one does it in very digestible fashion. It also has lots of pictures. Typically a given subject area is covered in 2 pages of pictures and text, so it's easy to pick up for even a short reading opportunity. It has 500+ pages, so it covers many topics. It is a very good choice as a first book on Roman history and civilization, if you're interested in the subject.

[BJ Schall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good topical introduction to the subject of Roman history. You definitely would not want to rely on this book for the purposes of detailed research about Rome's incredibly diverse history. However, if you are looking to introduce yourself to the topic of Roman history as a whole, this is a good stepping stone.

[Vicki Cline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an encyclopedia about ancient Rome, divided into sections about history and culture. Most topics are contained in 2 pages, sometimes 4, with 4 illustrations on the 2 pages. The treatment of the emperors is mostly not chronological, but instead by "character" - best, evil, saviors of the empire. There's a lot about architecture, in Rome itself and in various cities around the empire. The sections about the arts, science, religion, everyday life are also interesting. This book is not necessarily to be read straight through, but can be dipped into when the mood strikes you.

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the Roman Empire, daily lives, military life, frontier life, economy, architecture, scandals, etc. The architecture parts didnt appeal to my personal tastes but the rest is well written and a very good overview. Just keep in mind its an overview, a very informative and accessible one, but just an overview.

[Lucas. Kotomski. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This encyclopedia deserves every five star review that it has. It's a great history of Rome, from the early days to its demise. I'm not yet fully finished with it but to me, that's the joy of reading an encyclopedia: there's always going to be more juicy stuff to find out that you didn't know before.

Read this book, but don't ever get to the end.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good to know what happened to better illustrate what's happening.

[Janie Fuentes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, So I'm not into nonfiction so much, but this book was great! I actually understood it, which is a first. I Love Italy! :)

[Chandler Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, comprehensive walk through Roman Hiatory.

[Rob Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best synopsis of Roman history that I own!

[Steven Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book a couple of years ago, and grazed here and there, but decided to go through it while I'm between reads, and enjoy it. It is a good reference book on Rome, and would be a great addition for a young person's library or us middlebrow readers. The chapters are only two pages long, so it isn't at all in depth, but Rodgers writes a very approachable and thoughtful commentary, and the pictures are very good. I especially appreciated the many examples of Roman painting. Rodgers also does a very good shorthand study of the empire's history, recording when it was once "the greatest show on earth" (said by Lewis Mumford), and aside from the history, a great study is made of the architecture, social life, sanitation, literature, etc. All you need to know about Rome is here, a kind of historical Berlitz.
The only thing Rodgers neglected was discussing Roman music, but we really have no idea what it was like, except it was pretty much like Greek music, and we draw a blank there as well.
The book has a very sturdy plastic cover and is well-bound. it's a good addition to any library, and keep it out of reach of the Vandals. Cave barbari!

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am torn on how to rate this book so I will just go with three stars. This is a very easy to read, informative book about the Roman Empire from beginning to end. My ambivalence comes more from how I was feeling, and what has been going on in the world over the past six months while I was reading this book. Beautiful illustrations. $5 salvation army find.

[Keya M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great research book.

[Darrell Avram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable, well illustrated, excellent resource.

[Paul Swanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more a Roman Empire reference book than a book about the history of the Roman Empire. Manu names, building ruins , battles and emperors are documented here.

[Linda Harkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is like an ecyclopedia with nearly 1000 color plates. It covers a wide range of topics about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, poltics, achitecture, and the arts but does not g int great depth on any topic. Western civ and Latin teachers will appreciate this tome.

[Ramon Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reading....

[Larry Van Bibber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book that outlines the history and greatness of Rome. A decent reference type book. Nothing in depth.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really informative, but really dense.

[Bizzaro! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for a quick overview of the Roman Empire.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent history of Rome, but I've found other sources that were more readable on the subject. Still a good reference overall.