Rome and the Classical West (The Illustrated History of the World, Volume 3)

Rating:
Summary: Well-Written and Beautifully Illustrated
Review: Rome and the Classical West is volume three of a ten volume series called The Illustrated History of the World. The first volume covered the origins of the human race through the first civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. The second volume in the series reviewed the early cultures of India and China and then moved on to discuss Greek civilization. This third volume covers the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, from 800 BCE to 600 CE.

The book is filled with beautiful color illustrations. Every page has at least one and most are photographs of artifacts, art works, or scenes. The text is well written and emphasizes brief summaries rather than scholarly examination. This makes it a good basic introduction and outline, but may be less useful to someone who wants to look at these subjects in greater depth. The lack of any bibliography of further readings is also a drawback for those wanting to seek more information. A two-page time chart of the period helps to put events in perspective. The chapter contents are confusingly placed at the end of the book, but they are well done and helpful for getting an overview of the author's approach. A two page listing of all the books in the series with their section and chapter titles helps to put the material into the broader view of all world history.

If you want an entertaining introduction to the beginnings of the Roman Empire, its relationship to the Greek civilization, the rise of the Ceasars, the role of Judaism and the birth of Christianity, the division into East and West, the Christianization of the Empire, and its final demise in the West, this is a great book to read. I learned the difference between Visigoths and Ostragoths and why Germanic peoples are called Arians. There is a great discussion of St. Augustine's influence, the rise of the Roman Catholic church, and the division between it and the Byzantine church.

The type face is large and the lines are amply spaced. Couple this with the copious illustrations and the book is actually a very quick read for its size and length. It is a few steps above the approach of Dorling Kindersley books that are predominately illustrations with supporting text. With Roberts, the text is the major part, but the illustrations are definitely more than an after thought. This is a good introduction for the general reader. It is not going to be a lasting reference book that you will turn to again and again. Read it once and move on.

Rating:
Summary: A colorful and informative book
Review: This book is the third volume in the wonderful Illustrated History of the World Series. This book covers Rome, from it's founding, through the rise of Christianity and the twilight of the Classical world. Along the way, the reader is treated to many colorful maps and pictures, and interesting sidebars.

I really enjoyed this colorful and informative book. It gives the reader a good grounding in understanding ancient Rome, and even went into wonderful detail on things that I did not know, such as Judaism under Rome. Overall, I liked the book, and highly recommend it.