How Rome Fell by Adrian Goldsworthy audiobook

How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower

By Adrian Goldsworthy
Read by Derek Perkins

Tantor Audio 9780300137194

Unabridged

Format : Retail CD (In Stock)
  • $59.99

    ISBN: 9798200027859

  • $59.95

    ISBN: 9798200027866

Runtime: 18.42 Hours
Category: Nonfiction/History
Audience: Adult
Language: English

Summary

Summary

An Amazon Best Book of the Month for May 2009

In AD 200, the Roman Empire seemed unassailable, its vast territory accounting for most of the known world. By the end of the fifth century, Roman rule had vanished in western Europe and much of northern Africa, and only a shrunken Eastern Empire remained.

This was a period of remarkable personalities, from the philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius to emperors like Diocletian, who portrayed themselves as tough, even brutal, soldiers. It was a time of revolutionary ideas, especially in religion, as Christianity went from persecuted sect to the religion of state and emperors. Ultimately, this is the story of how an empire without a serious rival rotted from within, its rulers and institutions putting short-term ambition and personal survival over the greater good of the state.

Editorial Reviews

Editorial Reviews

“Goldsworthy gives a vivid account…[that] tells us clearly and well—and without attempts at literary majesty—about the series of events that brought Rome’s western empire to a state of collapse.” Wall Street Journal
“Clearly and powerfully articulated.” Telegraph (London)
“Goldsworthy asserts that…it was civil war and paranoia that destroyed the empire from within…How Rome Fell speeds both the casual and Rome-savvy reader through 400 years of tumultuous and world-changing history.” Amazon.com, editorial review
“Weaves a compelling narrative that has enough new research to keep even well seasoned ‘Romanphiles’ satisfied.” Washington Times
“[A] masterful survey.” New Criterion
“On a more profound level, Goldsworthy has depicted the grim process by which the Res Publica, the common good of the Roman many, was sacrificed for the self-preservation of the Imperial few, leading in due course to the destruction of all.” California Literary Review
“[A] level of scholarship, analysis, and lucid prose…makes sense of 300 years of poorly documented wars, murders, and political scheming. Highly opinionated, he presents surviving documents and archeological evidence to back his views…This richly rewarding work will serve as an introduction to Roman history but will also provide plenty of depth to satisfy the educated reader.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Derek Perkins brings just the right note of erudition and modernity to this daunting subject…He achieves a fine rendition of this superb writer’s measured, impartial tone. Here, without the benefit of a central focusing figure like Caesar or Augustus, the narrator’s own pace and focus must fill in the gap, and Perkins finds his thread, as Goldsworthy does, in our own knowledge and understanding of the great empire whose language, artifacts, and institutions—and collapse—still shape our world today.” AudioFile
This richly rewarding work will serve as an introduction to Roman history, but will also provide plenty of depth to satisfy the educated reader. Publishers Weekly Starred Review

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Author Bio: Adrian Goldsworthy

Author Bio: Adrian Goldsworthy

Adrian Goldsworthy received his DPhil degree in ancient history from Oxford and has taught at Cardiff University, King's College, and the University of Notre Dame in London. He is the author of numerous books, including Phillip and Alexander, Pax Romana, How Rome Fell, and Caesar.

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Details

Details

Available Formats : Retail CD, MP3 CD
Category: Nonfiction/History
Runtime: 18.42
Audience: Adult
Language: English