The Fall Of The West

The Death Of The Roman Superpower

Adrian Goldsworthy, Dr Adrian Goldsworthy Ltd

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English

Phoenix
01 April 2010

History; European history; Ancient history: to c 500 CE

The Fall of the Roman Empire has been a bestselling subject since the 18th century and until very recently, the academic view embarrassedly downplayed the violence and destruction, in an attempt to provide a more urbane account of late antiquity: barbarian invasions were mistakenly described as the movement of peoples. It was all painfully tame and civilised.

But now Adrian Goldsworthy comes forward with his trademark combination of clear narrative, common sense and a thorough mastery of the sources. In telling the story from start to finish, he rescues the era from the diffident and mealy-mouthed: this is a red-blooded account of aggressive barbarian attacks, palace coups, scheming courtiers and corrupt emperors who set the bar for excess. It is 'old fashioned history' in the best sense: an accessible narrative with colourful characters whose story reveals the true reasons for the fall of Rome.

By: Adrian Goldsworthy, Dr Adrian Goldsworthy Ltd
Imprint: Phoenix
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 214mm, Width: 134mm, Spine: 36mm
Weight: 510g
ISBN: 9780753826928
ISBN 10: 0753826925
Pages: 560
Publication Date: 01 April 2010
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Author Website: www.adriangoldsworthy.com

Adrian Goldsworthy has a doctorate from Oxford University. His books include THE PUNIC WARS, and the volume on Roman Warfare in John Keegan's Cassell History of Warfare series. He has lectured on Roman history in both the UK and USA.

Reviews for The Fall Of The West: The Death Of The Roman Superpower

Goldsworthy describes this collapse with a strong, clear narrative, not forgetting that history is about stories, individual stories of horror and tragedy, while also describing the wider story. CATHOLIC HERALD