12-28-2012, 03:40 AM
My favorite general history of Rome is William Sinnigen's and Arthur Boak's A History of Rome to AD 565. Very detailed and readable it is unmatched as a general history. Military, economic, political, and religious events and their significance to Rome are discussed. It is a veritable encyclopedia dedicated to Roman history. 557 pages it includes maps of the empire at various historical points as well as a few pictures of Rome's most iconic buildings and monuments. The hardback can be quite hard to find and is pricey but paperback versions are reasonably priced and an e-version is also available.
Another handier history is J.P.V.D. Balsdon's Rome: The Story of an Empire. It was the textbook for my very first college course on Roman history it starts with the Republic around 241 BC to the fall of the western empire. 256 pages, less detailed, it is a very good overview of the significant events in the history of Rome. It's small size makes it a favorite to carry during my business travels. This seems to be harder to find but is listed on Amazon (as is the previous book).
Another handier history is J.P.V.D. Balsdon's Rome: The Story of an Empire. It was the textbook for my very first college course on Roman history it starts with the Republic around 241 BC to the fall of the western empire. 256 pages, less detailed, it is a very good overview of the significant events in the history of Rome. It's small size makes it a favorite to carry during my business travels. This seems to be harder to find but is listed on Amazon (as is the previous book).
