SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome in History is Not Boring

Oct 27, 2015 Susanna - Censored by GoodReads rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The tale of not how Rome fell, but how it rose.

Recommended.

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Jun 08, 2016 Grumpus rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, history

For the past 9 years, my historical interest has been primarily the American revolutionary period. I have read as much as I could about that time. Concurrently, I have always had a fascination with Pompeii. I read the historical fiction account of that in Pompeii and it drew me in to Roman history. It has been a while since I read it but took an Audible sale on this book to be what I'll look back on as my tipping point in which Roman history has become my obsession.

This book was a great history ...more

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Aug 20, 2017 MichelleCH rated it liked it

Shelves: european-history, historical-non-fiction

My eyes start to glaze over a bit when I feel like too much information is being presented at once or when writing feels too verbose as was the case with SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. I have to give Beard a lot of credit because she has clearly researched and read the earliest ancient writers on history of Rome but at the same time, I felt overwhelmed by her presentation.

I also think that this probably wasn't the best choice for my first in-depth look at Roman history. To truly appreciate Bea ...more

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Aug 30, 2018 Rick rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Mary Beard in her introduction writes, "There is no single story of Rome, especially when the Roman world had expanded far outside Italy. The history of Rome is not the same as the history of Roman Britain or of Roman Africa.” Undaunted, Beard then proceeds to squeeze as much of the story of Rome, its provinces, enemies, villains, heroes and, refreshingly, the citizens themselves, as one possibly could into a single volume.

Professor Beard's tone is chatty and gossipy at times, which will, undoub ...more

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Apr 03, 2017 Kathy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-non-fiction, x-jan-17-thru-dec-17

Yo! Some 600 pages of the history, culture, and characters of ancient Rome, the product of obviously careful research and careful, eloquent prose. I did have to shelve it once in a while and get on to something lighter, but I enjoyed all of it.

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