braynard 's review for:

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard

4.75

informative medium-paced

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I love history. It’s a fact that most people know about me. I watch documentaries for fun, I read historical fiction as a kid, and I have a never ending list of historical podcasts. The book I’m currently focusing on is literally about the Crusades. So, I love history. 

I first got this book in 2016. We were on a family trip and popped in a book store (always danger for us). I was entranced by the shiny gold cover. I was also a Percy Jackson kid, so the Greco-Roman world was a fixation for me. I read it immediately, then I re-read it while feeling sick in high school. My last re-reading was this year. 

This book is a great in-depth look into Roman history. Mary Beard begins the book during the time of Julius Caesar, a good choice given the layperson’s knowledge of Rome. Then she jumps back to the mythical beginnings and makes her way back to Caesar and the later emperors. 

While I do love this book, I have two main criticisms. The first is that the writing style of this book assumes that you already have some knowledge of major Roman historical events and figures. While most important individuals are given a quick overview, Beard does skip over explaining Marius and Sulla, the Peloponnesian war, and the Samnite conflict. Sure, the average reader might not consider these particularly important, but the Romans considered them an important part of their history. My other criticism is that the book stops in the 200s CE. I completely understand Beard’s reasoning for stopping at this point, but it is a bit upsetting to go from the very start of Rome and stop halfway through. 

That said, it’s an utterly fantastic resource. I would recommend supplementing your reading with some other historical source (I listened to the History of Rome Podcast). Once you understand the basic history, Beard’s deeper analyses begin to hold more meaning. 

I want to give it a 10, but my few critiques do knock it down to a 9. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 9/10