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How Rome Fell
- Death of a Superpower
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 18 hrs and 27 mins
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Augustus
- First Emperor of Rome
- Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Caesar Augustus's story, one of the most riveting in western history, is filled with drama and contradiction, risky gambles and unexpected success. He began as a teenage warlord, whose only claim to power was as the heir of the murdered Julius Caesar. Mark Antony dubbed him "a boy who owes everything to a name," but in the years to come the youth outmaneuvered all the older and more experienced politicians and was the last man standing in 30 BC.
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excellent book and excellent perfomace
- By John MacLachlan on 2021-05-07
Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
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The Fall of Carthage
- The Punic Wars 265-146BC
- Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The struggle between Rome and Carthage in the Punic Wars was arguably the greatest and most desperate conflict of antiquity. The forces involved and the casualties suffered by both sides were far greater than in any wars fought before the modern era, while the eventual outcome had far-reaching consequences for the history of the Western World, namely the ascendancy of Rome. An epic of war and battle, this is also the story of famous generals and leaders: Hannibal, Fabius Maximus, Scipio Africanus, and his grandson Scipio Aemilianus, who would finally bring down the walls of Carthage.
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It's a basic outline of the 3 Punic wars
- By Duy B. on 2019-03-20
Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
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Philip and Alexander
- Kings and Conquerors
- Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Neil Dickson
- Length: 20 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
This definitive biography of one of history's most influential father-son duos tells the story of two rulers who gripped the world - and their rise and fall from power.
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excellent read
- By jeff olasz on 2021-06-06
Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
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In the Name of Rome
- The Men Who Won the Roman Empire
- Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 17 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Adrian Goldsworthy has received wide acclaim for his exceptional writing on the Roman Empire - including high praise from the acclaimed military historian and author John Keegan - and here he offers a new perspective on the empire by focusing on its greatest generals, including Scipio Africanus, Marius, Pompey, Caesar, and Titus.
Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
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Caesar
- Life of a Colossus
- Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 24 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Tracing the extraordinary trajectory of Julius Caesar's life, Adrian Goldsworthy covers not only the great Roman emperor's accomplishments as charismatic orator, conquering general, and powerful dictator but also lesser-known chapters. Ultimately, Goldsworthy realizes the full complexity of Caesar's character and shows why his political and military leadership continues to resonate some 2,000 years later.
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Excellent performance, timeless story.
- By Nicholas Taylor on 2018-02-26
Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
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The War That Made the Roman Empire
- Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium
- Written by: Barry Strauss
- Narrated by: Jacques Roy
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Following Caesar’s assassination and Mark Antony’s defeat of the conspirators who killed Caesar, two powerful men remained in Rome—Antony and Caesar’s chosen heir, young Octavian, the future Augustus. When Antony fell in love with the most powerful woman in the world, Egypt’s ruler Cleopatra, and thwarted Octavian’s ambition to rule the empire, another civil war broke out. In 31 BC one of the largest naval battles in the ancient world took place—more than 600 ships, almost 200,000 men, and one woman—the Battle of Actium.
Written by: Barry Strauss
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Augustus
- First Emperor of Rome
- Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Caesar Augustus's story, one of the most riveting in western history, is filled with drama and contradiction, risky gambles and unexpected success. He began as a teenage warlord, whose only claim to power was as the heir of the murdered Julius Caesar. Mark Antony dubbed him "a boy who owes everything to a name," but in the years to come the youth outmaneuvered all the older and more experienced politicians and was the last man standing in 30 BC.
-
-
excellent book and excellent perfomace
- By John MacLachlan on 2021-05-07
Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
-
The Fall of Carthage
- The Punic Wars 265-146BC
- Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The struggle between Rome and Carthage in the Punic Wars was arguably the greatest and most desperate conflict of antiquity. The forces involved and the casualties suffered by both sides were far greater than in any wars fought before the modern era, while the eventual outcome had far-reaching consequences for the history of the Western World, namely the ascendancy of Rome. An epic of war and battle, this is also the story of famous generals and leaders: Hannibal, Fabius Maximus, Scipio Africanus, and his grandson Scipio Aemilianus, who would finally bring down the walls of Carthage.
-
-
It's a basic outline of the 3 Punic wars
- By Duy B. on 2019-03-20
Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
-
Philip and Alexander
- Kings and Conquerors
- Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Neil Dickson
- Length: 20 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This definitive biography of one of history's most influential father-son duos tells the story of two rulers who gripped the world - and their rise and fall from power.
-
-
excellent read
- By jeff olasz on 2021-06-06
Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
-
In the Name of Rome
- The Men Who Won the Roman Empire
- Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 17 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Adrian Goldsworthy has received wide acclaim for his exceptional writing on the Roman Empire - including high praise from the acclaimed military historian and author John Keegan - and here he offers a new perspective on the empire by focusing on its greatest generals, including Scipio Africanus, Marius, Pompey, Caesar, and Titus.
Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
-
Caesar
- Life of a Colossus
- Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 24 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tracing the extraordinary trajectory of Julius Caesar's life, Adrian Goldsworthy covers not only the great Roman emperor's accomplishments as charismatic orator, conquering general, and powerful dictator but also lesser-known chapters. Ultimately, Goldsworthy realizes the full complexity of Caesar's character and shows why his political and military leadership continues to resonate some 2,000 years later.
-
-
Excellent performance, timeless story.
- By Nicholas Taylor on 2018-02-26
Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
-
The War That Made the Roman Empire
- Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium
- Written by: Barry Strauss
- Narrated by: Jacques Roy
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following Caesar’s assassination and Mark Antony’s defeat of the conspirators who killed Caesar, two powerful men remained in Rome—Antony and Caesar’s chosen heir, young Octavian, the future Augustus. When Antony fell in love with the most powerful woman in the world, Egypt’s ruler Cleopatra, and thwarted Octavian’s ambition to rule the empire, another civil war broke out. In 31 BC one of the largest naval battles in the ancient world took place—more than 600 ships, almost 200,000 men, and one woman—the Battle of Actium.
Written by: Barry Strauss
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Napoleon
- A Life
- Written by: Adam Zamoyski
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 27 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
The story of Napoleon has been written many times. In some versions, he is a military genius, in others a war-obsessed tyrant. Here, historian Adam Zamoyski cuts through the mythology and explains Napoleon against the background of the European Enlightenment and what he was himself seeking to achieve. This most famous of men is also the most hidden of men, and Zamoyski dives deeper than any previous biographer to find him. Beautifully written, Napoleon brilliantly sets the man in his European context.
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Great narration. Historically biased writing.
- By Quadratic on 2019-06-10
Written by: Adam Zamoyski
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Babylon
- Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization
- Written by: Paul Kriwaczek
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Story
Civilization was born 8,000 years ago, between the floodplains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, when migrants from the surrounding mountains and deserts began to create increasingly sophisticated urban societies. In the cities that they built, half of human history took place. In Babylon, Paul Kriwaczek tells the story of Mesopotamia from the earliest settlements seven thousand years ago to the eclipse of Babylon in the sixth century BCE. Bringing the people of this land to life in vibrant detail, the author chronicles the rise and fall of power during this period.
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A good introduction to the history of Mesopotamia
- By Mauro on 2019-09-19
Written by: Paul Kriwaczek
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Millennium
- The End of the World and the Forging of Christendom
- Written by: Tom Holland
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows, Tom Holland
- Length: 17 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Millennium is a stunning panoramic account of the two centuries on either side of the apocalyptic year 1000. This was the age of Canute, William the Conqueror and Pope Gregory VII, of Vikings, monks and serfs, of the earliest castles and the invention of knighthood, and of the primal conflict between church and state. The story of how the distinctive culture of Europe - restless, creative and dynamic - was forged from out of the convulsions of these extraordinary times is as fascinating and as momentous as any in history.
Written by: Tom Holland
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Rubicon
- The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic
- Written by: Tom Holland
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows, Tom Holland
- Length: 15 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
The Roman Republic was the most remarkable state in history. What began as a small community of peasants camped among marshes and hills ended up ruling the known world. Rubicon paints a vivid portrait of the Republic at the climax of its greatness - the same greatness which would herald the catastrophe of its fall. It is a story of incomparable drama.
Written by: Tom Holland
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Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician
- Written by: Anthony Everitt
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 15 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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In this dynamic and engaging biography, Anthony Everitt plunges us into the fascinating, scandal-ridden world of ancient Rome in its most glorious heyday. Accessible to us through his legendary speeches but also through an unrivaled collection of unguarded letters to his close friend Atticus, Cicero comes to life here as a witty and cunning political operator.
Written by: Anthony Everitt
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Dynasty
- The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar
- Written by: Tom Holland
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows
- Length: 17 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Dynasty tells the story of Rome's first dynasty of emperors, from its establishment by Augustus Caesar in the last decades of the first century BC to its final, florid extinction less than a century later. The line of autocrats known to historians as the 'Julio-Claudians' remains to this day a byword for depravity. The brilliance of its allure and the blood-steeped shadows cast by its crimes still haunt the public imagination.
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So good!
- By randy hanson on 2019-10-05
Written by: Tom Holland
Publisher's Summary
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. 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. 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 greater good of the state.
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Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Ryan
- 2015-03-03
The tragic story of the fall of a great empire
What made the experience of listening to How Rome Fell the most enjoyable?
How comprehensive the story was. It began before Commodus and went past 476. This emphasized how the fall was not in a vacuum nor was it necessarily a true, catastrophic collapse.
What did you like best about this story?
It continually emphasized the facts instead of wide held societal beliefs. Each supposed cause of the fall of the Roman empire was examined and preconceived notions where attacked and discarded. It is very balanced and reasonable.
What does Derek Perkins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
As with all my reviews of his work, he is an excellent narrator who can really bring the story to life.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
They said it was un-filmable, and they where right
Any additional comments?
If you want a general overview of the narrative and potential causes of Rome's dissolution, this is an excellent source
19 people found this helpful
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- FarleyFarley
- 2016-02-19
he's got me convinced!
Would you listen to How Rome Fell again? Why?
Yes, and I might do that. I've read or listened to several recent books on this question, and Goldsworthy's argument is compelling. If every time you have a change of government, you have a devastating, depopulating civil war, and you have changes of government all the time, then it seems that you don't have to go very far to find out why Rome fell.Goldsworthy is really good at marshaling the evidence and not going beyond.
Who was your favorite character and why?
I did not have a favorite character.
Which character – as performed by Derek Perkins – was your favorite?
Derek Perkins is a fine narrator. I should add that I am not extraordinarily fastidious in that regard.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
no, it is too long.
Any additional comments?
Goldsworthy is an excellent writer with fine analytical skills. He also wrote a terrific book on Julius Caesar, Life of a Colossus.
6 people found this helpful
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- Dylan Becker
- 2020-02-22
Interesting, loosely connected facts
The book is interesting, but it seems like the topics are a bit random because the author doesn't really talk in terms of cause and effect. At times it makes it hard to tell why he is even talking about certain topics. The only time the author puts forward a causal argument is in the very end after all these random facts are thrown at you. The upshot of this is that you know the facts are truly that and not opinions of the author. Worth the listen.
5 people found this helpful
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- MichaelS
- 2019-06-07
Good Material, Lots of Caveats
I suppose the story of how Rome fell, like many aspects of ancient history, is liable to be shrouded in mystery. One can imagine how, for example, Donald Trump would be viewed if only one religious cleric writing 100 years from now was all you had to go on. There is a ton of equivocation in this book. Often the author will talk for several minutes stating a theory of a particular event, and then say something along the lines of "this has been recently called into question" or even "this seems unlikely in the light of such-and-such evidence." On one hand, this gives you a more honest picture, and I appreciate it, but it hardly makes for a good or thrilling story. The story of how Rome eroded (largely, as it turned out, from within) is an interesting story, and given the continuation of the Eastern Roman empire in a progressively diminished form, the story more fades from sight then ends entirely. For example, Justinian, an Eastern Roman emperor who wasn't even born until after the last Western Roman emperor was overthrown, gets an extensive treatment. The book presents a lot of good information, and you just have to take the broad themes and decide for yourself what "lessons" can be learned from it.
5 people found this helpful
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- William
- 2016-07-04
very good
This book and the author's book on Julius Caesar both seem thoroughly researched and carefully written. I appreciate how throughout the books he informs the reader where the source material is weak/strong.
For me How Rome Fell would probably flow better in print. Because of the high level view necessary to capture all the characters involved, the names of people and places often rush by and I found myself having to go back to remember them. I don't find this a fault of the author or narrator, but the nature of the material.
3 people found this helpful
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- Trebla
- 2021-10-23
Names & Dates, Names & Dates
I am not an historian & this kind of book is why. 18 hours of endless repetition of generals & battles but so little insight into WHY. Goldsworthy clearly has the academic & data base to write such a book but he failed to make a case for any of several possible reasons why the Empire fell. A small saving grace attempt in the last chapter and epilogue did not make up for the numbing recitation of battles. How about the rest of society? Did the life of the citizen benefit from the Empire, and so earn its support? And for a book of 2017 vintage he badly presages the US destiny
2 people found this helpful
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- Euryleia
- 2019-12-16
Excellent!
Adrian Goldsworthy appears to deserve all of the accolades he has received if his other works are all this good. His writing is clear, his research is deep and his interpretations are interesting without being fanciful or melodramatic. Most impressively, he manages to keep the sections where where were multiple concurrent emperors with similar names from being a confusing mess! The narrator was great as well, with a pleasant vocal tone and cadence, and clear diction.
2 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 2019-04-24
Another home run by Goldsworthy
If you wonder why the political world works the way the political world works then there is no better place to start than with Adrian Goldsworthy's How Rome Fell. The epilogue of this book alone is worth the price of admission.
2 people found this helpful
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- Aaron
- 2019-12-13
Another Great book by Goldsworthy
Yet another amazing book by probably the best writer for this entire period especially for Roman history, his detail and present the facts writing is the best of the best. I love how with all of his books he goes out of his way to present the facts, tell you what some people think about it and then show by what is the facts what is the most likely thing that happened for a period that we truly don't know everything about.
Derek Perkins also does another amazing job with the narration, this is probably the 8th book by this pair I have enjoyed and every one is a treat of knowledge that could not be executed or presented better.
1 person found this helpful
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- Dina Torek
- 2019-09-23
Great read, highly recommend it
Goldsworthy provides an eloquent and detailed summary of the collapse theory regarding Rome with accurate notation of events and an enjoyable style. The performance by Derek Perkins is engaging and well done, and this is a great introduction to modern discourse on the fall of Rome. While I don't personally agree with the collapse thesis I found this to be a great summary of Gibbon's work with additions by less antiquated (heh) historians, great entry level reading.
1 person found this helpful