Christopher Kelly (1) (1964–)

In writing about Attila The Hun the popular historian is faced with one major problem; there just isn't much source material to work with. The battles are known, but the motivations and personality of a leader who managed to rule most of Northern Europe albeit for a brief period, are not. The vast majority of contemporary accounts are lost to us - and how frustrating it is that no eyewitness accounts of , for example, the meeting of Attila and Pope Leo, survive. Never the less, Kelly does an show more excellent job in bringing Attila, and the short lived Hun Empire, to life. He draws heavily on the work of Priscus, a Roman scholar who was part of an embassy to Attila's court. Although little of Priscus' 8 volume History of Attila survives, the little that does is illuminating as Priscus clearly had no interest in demonising Attila as the half human barbarian most classical writers depicted him as. Attila comes across as sophisticated and a master tactician; well aware of the weakness of the Western Roman Empire he alternately allies with them, extorts them, traps them and attacks them. Kelly presents Attila as cruel when he needed to be, a master in holding his warlike nation together, but ultimately a "Prince" of whom Machiavelli would have approved

In fact the title of the book is something of a misnomer. The Huns did not cause the end of the Empire; the Vandals, the Goths and the decision of Constantine to split the Empire between East and West (with the East having greater income and less threat) did that. But they certainly rapidly accelerated its demise. In less than a generation from the death of Attila , the last Roman Emperor was peacefully deposed; much like the last Emperor of China he just wasn't important enough to bother assassinating.

This is an excellent read; if at times Kelly goes down some interesting, but not especially relevant byways, such as about Gothic and Hunnic jewellery making skills, we know this is to make up for the lack of direct source material. He's painting a picture of a time and place that have long been hidden. He does it very well indeed show less

As other reviewers have noted, this is not a chronological overview of Roman imperial history--in fact, a basic background knowledge of Roman history is prerequisite to approaching this text. It is, however, an excellent concise treatment of some of the most important themes of Roman history and historiogaphy: the Romans' sense of their own imperial mission; the economic structure of the empire; the influence of Christianity; the way "Rome" has been reinvented throughout history to serve the show more needs of the moment (Kelly looks in particular at Mussolini's Italy and various cinematic Romes). It might not be Roman History 101, but this is an excellent resource for understanding why and not just how and when. show less

I want to save a lot of you a lot of trouble reading this book:

Attila and the Empire have numerous talks, a few battles, a few demands for wives and tribute, a lot of fighting with their neighbors (the Goths and the Vandals)—that had it all not happened, Rome wouldn’t have “fell” when it did. Well, ok. If a butterfly flaps its wings…

Probably well written and researched but boring. Unless you are really into a lot of ancient bureaucratic falderal, then skip this one.

Christopher Kelly surveys the history of the Empire from Augustus to Marcus Aurelius, describing the empire's formation, and its political, religious, cultural, and social structures. It considers the daily lives of the Empire's people: both those in Rome as well as those living removed in colonies. Romans employed considerable logistical feats, political savvy, and military oppression to rule their vast empire. This example of the Very Short Introduction series examines how they "romanised" show more the cultures they conquered, imposing their own culture in order to dominate them completely. The book also looks at how the Roman Empire has been considered and depicted in popular culture, and popular views such as in Edward Gibbon or according to Hollywood's Gladiator.

Kelly packed a great deal of information in this tiny volume from the outstanding "Very Short Introduction" series. At first I did not think that the popular culture chapter would fit given the short length. However, in context the inclusion of the material makes a great deal of sense since, for better or for worse, Hollywood and popular images have dominated the average person's view of the Romans. This short volume is a corrective then and is a well-written short introduction to prepare for more in-depth studies. show less