How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower - Softcover

"Goldsworthy . . . claims the empire's fatal move was to make the centre of authority--Rome and its experienced senatorial government--irrelevant. . . . Goldsworthy's expertise guarantees his clearly and powerfully articulated thesis will open up the debate all over again."--Peter Jones, Telegraph

"Goldsworthy gives a vivid account. . . . [he] tells us clearly and well--and without attempts at literary majesty--about the series of events that brought Rome's western empire to a state of collapse."--Wall Street Journal

"How Rome Fell is an interesting and compelling analysis. It is definitely worth the price to obtain and the time to digest, even if you are not a student of classical history."--Brandon Crocker, The American Spectator

"A very important book for anyone interested in Roman history."--The NYMAS Review

"[A] masterful survey."--The New Criterion

." . . weaves a compelling narrative that has enough new research to keep even well seasoned 'Romanphiles' satisfied."--Washington Times

"Adrian Goldsworthy is one of the new generation of young classicists who combines scholarship with storytelling to bring the ancient world to life."--Simon Sebag Montefiore

In AD 200, the Roman Empire seemed unassailable, its vast territory accounting for most of the known world. By the end of the fifth century, Roman rule had vanished in western Europe and much of northern Africa, and only a shrunken Eastern Empire remained. In his account of the fall of the Roman Empire, prizewinning author Adrian Goldsworthy examines the painful centuries of the superpower’s decline. Bringing history to life through the stories of the men, women, heroes, and villains involved, the author uncovers surprising lessons about the rise and fall of great nations.

This was a period of remarkable personalities, from the philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius to emperors like Diocletian, who portrayed themselves as tough, even brutal, soldiers. It was a time of revolutionary ideas, especially in religion, as Christianity went from persecuted sect to the religion of state and emperors. Goldsworthy pays particular attention to the willingness of Roman soldiers to fight and kill each other. Ultimately, this is the story of how an empire without a serious rival rotted from within, its rulers and institutions putting short-term ambition and personal survival over the wider good of the state.