Title: The Fall of the Roman Empire
Price: $1.99
Author: Peter Heather (historian)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Genre: Nonfiction – History
Publisher’s Summary:
The death of the Roman Empire is one of the perennial mysteries of world history. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Peter Heather proposes a stunning new solution: Rome generated its own nemesis. Centuries of imperialism turned the neighbors it called barbarians into an enemy capable of dismantling the Empire that had dominated their lives for so long. Heather is a leading authority on the late Roman Empire and on the barbarians.
Conclusion: Probably Not
I wasn’t aware that the fall of the Roman Empire was considered a “mystery” per se; there were obviously a lot of factors involved and we know of most of them, it’s pretty much a debate about which mattered more and when and whatnot…isn’t it? At least, that was my understanding. Not to mention that the fall of the Western Roman Empire actually gave way to the Byzantine Empire, which was basically a direct continuation, but this book isn’t talking about that particular entity’s failure, which didn’t happen until 1453. (Of course I don’t remember this off the top of my head. Wikipedia’s back, remember?)
Anyway, I assume that the author knows more than the summary-writer, but I’m disinclined to pick this up as I haven’t had as much reading time lately and I still have a lot on my to-read list.
