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The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Author: Edward Gibbon, Hans-Friedrich Mueller (Editor), Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Illustrator)
Gibbon’s masterpiece, which narrates the history of the Roman Empire from the second century a.d. to its collapse in the west in the fifth century and in the east in the fifteenth century, is widely considered the greatest work of history ever written. This abridgment retains the full scope of the original, but in a compass equivalent to a...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780375758119
ISBN-10: 0375758119
Publication Date: 8/12/2003
Pages: 1,312
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 2

4 stars, based on 2 ratings
Publisher: Modern Library
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 1
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Helpful Score: 1
This is the abridged version of the six-volume classic standard for Roman history (691 pages, but not bulky!). Considered a historical masterpiece by many, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose characters discuss it in The Great Gatsby, and Winston Churchill, it was originally published in 1776. This version has an excellent introduction and prose that is highly readable (not old-fashioned). It begins with Commodus (he was the cruel and corrupt emperor in the film Gladiator), covers Diocletian, and the rise of Christianity and foundation of Constantinople. It ends with the revolt of the Goths, the fall of Rome and Constaninople, and the rise of Islam. You will find this fascinating and relevant (and if you've already read Elizabeth Kostova's novel The Historian, this will be of particular interest as background to many of the conversations her characters have about the past and its influences).
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