The Romans

Reviews / Votes

At last, a history of the Roman state as it has always been crying out to be told, and never has been! Not even Edward Gibbon, more than 200 years ago, covered the full 2,000-year span, as Edward J. Watts does here. And at last we learn the truth: that Rome's 'decline and fall' was brought about not by barbarian invaders from the east in the 5th and 6th centuries but by crusading Europeans from the Christian west in 1204. Watts tells this story with verve and aplomb, and a wealth of finely observed detail drawn from Roman historians' own accounts of their past -- Roderick Beaton, author of The Greeks A sweeping historical survey that spans two millennia . . . Those intrigued by the ebb and flow of political power . . . will find in this book a cornucopia * Wall Street Journal * The great achievement of this book is its scale. The coverage is vast and yet Watts deftly brings two thousand years of Roman history under one powerful arc of analysis. What it meant to be Roman was always in flux, but what made the Roman state so successful - its unique combination of resilience and adaptability - remained intact throughout -- Jerry Toner, author of A Cultural History of the Senses in Antiquity Here is the Roman story across two millennia, from the mists of the Iron Age to the medieval crusades. Sweeping and masterful, The Romans balances the themes of continuity and change, grand forces and individual characters. I'm often asked what one book on ancient Rome I would recommend - and now I have a new answer -- Kyle Harper, author of The Fate of Rome Ed Watts tells the remarkable story of how Roman traditions of openness and flexibility allowed it to adjust and readjust to ever-changing circumstances over two millennia. Clearly written and well-informed, The Romans puts readers into direct contact with the voices of the Roman people over time, and will become a classic in its own right -- David Potter, author of Constantine the Emperor