SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome
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3.9 • 310 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
New York Times Bestseller
A New York Times Notable Book
Named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, Foreign Affairs, and Kirkus Reviews
Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award (Nonfiction)
Shortlisted for the Cundill Prize in Historical Literature
Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize (History)
A San Francisco Chronicle Holiday Gift Guide Selection
A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice Selection
A sweeping, "magisterial" history of the Roman Empire from one of our foremost classicists shows why Rome remains "relevant to people many centuries later" (Atlantic).
In SPQR, an instant classic, Mary Beard narrates the history of Rome "with passion and without technical jargon" and demonstrates how "a slightly shabby Iron Age village" rose to become the "undisputed hegemon of the Mediterranean" (Wall Street Journal). Hailed by critics as animating "the grand sweep and the intimate details that bring the distant past vividly to life" (Economist) in a way that makes "your hair stand on end" (Christian Science Monitor) and spanning nearly a thousand years of history, this "highly informative, highly readable" (Dallas Morning News) work examines not just how we think of ancient Rome but challenges the comfortable historical perspectives that have existed for centuries. With its nuanced attention to class, democratic struggles, and the lives of entire groups of people omitted from the historical narrative for centuries, SPQR will to shape our view of Roman history for decades to come.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
We’ve always been fascinated by Rome, one of the rare places where the ancient past and the go-go present coexist seamlessly. Mary Beard’s book does the fabled city justice by presenting historical facts in lively, colorful language. Rather than offer an academic survey, SPQR asks fascinating questions about Roman life at all levels and chips away at popular misconceptions and myths about a society that continues to influence our world. This lively non-fiction read would make a wonderful gift for the travelers and lifelong learners on your list.
Customer Reviews
See AllEt Immortales Populus
Mary Beard blows up the idea of the Rome you thought you knew versus what a detailed accounting tells us. The drama of Rome is an unending list of tabloid worthy scandals. As Mary Beard points out, the turmoil that plagued Rome to its end may lie in the roots of its fratricidal founding. And now the themes from our daily headlines are just repeated stories from ages ago.
Indeed, when contrasted against the current state of affairs we are reminded how history echoes itself if not wholesale repeats. As always, what we learn from history could save us today. In one example, the way in which Rome had a more inclusive citizenry that pulled from its collective territories could be held up against the machinations of the far right today.
At every turn Mary Beard reminds us that history is written by the victor and therefore we must examine Rome’s story with some incredulity and a healthy level of curiosity to seek out supporting or competing narratives. It’s in the gaps of the known stories that Mary Beard’s work shines. The experiences of the Everyman of Rome matters as much as those of the Emperor for her. Even if we don’t have a lot of written down.
Boring
This book has received excellent reviews by The Economist, NYT and others; in my case I recommend you download a sample before purchasing. I found SPQR extremely boring, the author wanders around without a clear and compelling storyline; I frequently found myself looking topics up in wikipedia and others to actually understand the ancient history of Rome.
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome
I always wanted to learn about Rome's beginnings. But the historical guesswork and the research confusion became too much. I gave up about midway. Ed Kelley