Evil Roman Emperors: The Shocking History of Ancient Rome's Most Wicked Rulers from Caligula to Nero and...

— —

Phillip Barlag

Evil Roman Emperors

The Shocking History of Ancient Rome's Most Wicked Rulers from Caligula to Nero and More

Phillip Barlag

$40.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Rowman and Littlefield
15 June 2021

True crime; History; European history; Social & cultural history

Nero fiddled while Rome burned. As catchy as that aphorism is, it’s sadly untrue, even if it has a nice ring to it. The one thing Nero is well-known for is the one thing he actually didn’t do. But fear not, the truth of his life, his rule and what he did with unrestrained power, is plenty weird, salacious and horrifying.

And he is not alone. Roman history, from the very foundation of the city, is replete with people and stories that shock our modern sensibilities. Evil Emperors puts the worst of Rome’s rulers in one place and offers a review of their lives and a historical context for what made them into what they became. It concludes by ranking them, counting down to the worst ruler in Rome’s long history.

Lucius Tarquinius Suburbus called peace conferences with warring states, only to slaughter foreign leaders; Commodus sold offices of the empire to the highest bidder; Caligula demanded to be worshipped as a god, and marched troops all the way to the ocean simply to collect seashells as “proof” of their conquest; even the Roman Senate itself was made up of oppressors, exploiters, and murderers of all stripes. Author Phillip Barlag profiles a host of evil Roman rulers across the history of their empire, along with the faceless governing bodies that condoned and even carried out heinous acts.

Roman history, deviant or otherwise, is a subject of endless fascination. What’s never been done before is to look at the worst of the worst at the same time, comparing them side by side, and ranking them against one another. Until now.

By: Phillip Barlag
Imprint: Rowman and Littlefield
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 231mm, Width: 155mm, Spine: 15mm
Weight: 340g
ISBN: 9781633886902
ISBN 10: 1633886905
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 15 June 2021
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Phillip Barlag is an Executive Director at World 50, a Morgan Stanley company which initiates and facilitates the most interesting and influential business conversations in the world. He is the author of The History of Rome in 12 Buildings and the acclaimed The Leadership Genius of Julius Caesar, and his writing has been published in Fast Company, MIT Sloan Management Review, and ChangeThis.com, among others. He lives in the Atlanta, GA, area with his wife and three children.

Reviews for Evil Roman Emperors: The Shocking History of Ancient Rome's Most Wicked Rulers from Caligula to Nero and More

"NetGalley Review: 4 stars Last updated on 15 Jun 2021 ""My favorite documentaries to watch are about Acient Rome so when I saw this ARC, of course I had to request it. This was so well written and pretty funny at points, and it made it so much fun to listen to. Despite knowing a lot about the Emperors talked about in this book, I still learned a lot about these horrible men. I'm definitely pre-ordering a hardcopy of this book to have on my shelf!"" --Sarah Ramirez, Consumer Reviewer NetGalley Review: 5 stars Last updated on 16 Jun 2021 ""This book was a bunch of fun to read. I blazed through the various stories and even gasped a few times. I do have to say, I don't think die hard Rome historians will find this book as funny as I did, and I definitely believe that the author is passionate about his subject, because he made his opinions on certain emperors VERY obvious. All of that considered, this is a book I recommend as an introduction into terrible emperors of Rome and as a jumping off point for your own research."" --Nicole Nieto Consumer Reviewer ""In Evil Roman Rulers, Phillip Barlag has given us an insightful catalog of sometimes cruel, often deranged and ultimately scary leaders that will make many readers wonder how the Roman Empire became, and continued to be, so successful for so long. As it turned out, Rome's institutions proved too strong for even these destructive forces, and for every batch of evil and inept rulers a man of character and ability would arise to set Rome back on course. Only once Rome and her institutions lost their relevance, strength and cohesion did the western empire crumble.""-- Stephen Dando-Collins, author of Caligula: The Mad Emperor of Rome, Legions of Rome, and Conquering Jerusalem ""Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. It's important to study not just good leadership but bad leadership, too. In Evil Roman Emperors, Phillip Barlag gives us lots of lessons to heed in the modern age.""--Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, 11th secretary-general, NATO"