The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Roman Empire

by Eric D. Nelson

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0028641515
• ISBN13: 9780028641515
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Alpha Books
• Length: 383 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.5" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Eric knows his Stuff!

This book is great for an armateur interesting in learning more about the Roman Empire, or for students studying the subject! I have been a student of Eric Nelson's at PLU for the past 4 years and have taken Roman Civilization, two years of Latin, and Classical Mythology from him. He is a wonderful writer and an amazing professor who can make any subject come alive!

Ye gods! What a fine book!

For those of us who have never heard of Caracalla and can't tell Nero from Nirva, this book is a godsend. In simple terms, it tells the story of the Roman Empire from its humble beginnings to it fabulous heights to its disintegration. I read this book prior to a trip to Rome and found it very helpful. SPQR - The Senate and the People of Rome all speak as one: Hail, Complete Idiot's Guide!

Great Summary of Rome

This book is very easy to read and clearly defines all the aspects of Rome - it's complex history, government, culture, engineering skills, etc. It is a great introduction to Roman history.

Good to go!

A good solid asset to those who want to learn something about the fascinating and complex story to the Roman Empire. It is well organized and has a lot of very interesting tidbids. A great gift to the College Student or the History Nut in your circle of friends or family.

An informative, highly entertaining overview of Ancient Rome

One can find any number of books on ancient Rome. Many of them deal only with one particular period, or with very specific aspects of ancient Rome. But Rome endured, in one form or another, for a quite staggering length of time. So much happened during that period that I've always found it hard to get a handle on Roman history--to place the isolated events and the strange-sounding names in some sort of context. Nelson's book provides a broad overview of the entire pageant of Roman history and culture from 800 B.C.E. through the fall of Constantinople in 1453 C.E. This book is *precisely* what I'd been seeking for the last couple of years. Besides being informative, it's quite a fun read. One gets a sense of the Romans not as mere historical archetypes, but as people, facing problems similar to those we face today--sometimes with exasperation, often with humor. I especially liked Juvenal's description of the joys of a traffic jam, circa 234 C.E.!The history and culture of Rome are long and complex. This delightful book is a great roadmap for the interested reader.