Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
There have been enough words of praise heaped on this work without me adding to them, but Holland has the gift of recognising the important differences in ancient societies as well as continuities. This is a fabulously readable book, but it is also learned and scholarly.
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
informative
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
slow-paced
I am not an expert on Roman history and I think this book is a great starting point. Holland's style of writing needs a little bit of getting used to and then the reading just flows. I think the book is well written and well researched.
medium-paced
It’s a serviceable popular history, but some aspects were a little disappointing. It felt at times unfocused; it weaves a bit among topics, and some of the things it covers or doesn’t cover in depth surprised me. Holland also definitely has various crutches he overuses in his writing. For example, you’ll never go long without encountering a superfluous “of course,” and an astounding number of sentences use the construction “[proper noun]—that most [something] of [somethings]—.”
informative
medium-paced