The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire {abridged by Lentin and Norman}

An absolutely massive work, served up in a less forbidding shape in this edition, which has 28 in full of the book's 71 chapters (the omitted chapters, however, are served up in one-page summaries, so you at least get a feel of what you're missing). We are used to thinking of the Roman Empire in positive, even superlative, terms, but here the accent is on its weaknesses and failures. One gets the impression of a regime that depended too much on mercenary armed forces, who seem to have continually blackmailed the rulers; and of an inordinately self-serving ruling class, with rare exceptions like Marcus Aurelius or Trajan in the early years, and the chronic problem of an orderly succession, which seems to have been as traumatic and show more blood-soaked as in the Turco-Mongol world. The story is also that of the gradual ascendancy of Christianity, and its usurpation of the state apparatus. Little importance seems to have been given to the state-building prowess, the massive infrastructure, the Pax Romana which is touted as a gift to humanity. The story of the fall of Constantinople is especially heart-wrenching. The breadth and depth of the author's scholarship is mind-blowing.
For our era, Gibbon's work serves as a warning against depending too much on the armed forces to maintain the state; and the relative weakness of a state religion based on astrology, superstition,and the divine right of kings. show less

Gibbon's work, although very lengthy, is very relevant to the study of the Roman Empire. He looks primarily as to why it failed to continue over the centuries -- thus the title. But it really is worth the time reading. Any historian, whether a novice or a decorated professor, can tell you the value of this work.

Chapter I
Chapter II: Of the Union and Internal Prosperity of the Roman Empire in the Age of the Antonines
Chapter III: Of the Constitution of the Roman Empire in the Age of the Antonines
Chapter IV: The cruelty, follies and murder of Commodus [with added Pertinax]
Chapter V: mostly about Septimius Severus
Chapter VI: Septimius Severus, Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus; and taxation
Chapter VII: The Year of Six Emperors, and Philip the Arab
Chapter VIII: Of the state of Persia after the restoration of the monarchy by Artaxerxes
Chapter IX: The state of Germany till the invasion of the Barbarians
Chapter XIII: Diocletian
Chapter XV: Early Christianity
Chapter XVI: Early Christianity and the Emperors
Chapter XX: The conversion of show more Constantine and the establishment of Christianity
Chapter XXI: Heresy and paganism
Chapter XXIII: Julian and his Apostasy
Chapter XXIV: Julian's Persian campaign, and his death
Chapter XXVIII: The Destruction of Paganism, and Worship of Relics and Saints by Christians
Chapter XXX: The Goths are coming
Chapter XXXIV: Attila the Hun
Chapter XXXV: The End of Attila
Chapter XXXVI: The End of the Western Empire
Chapter XXXVII: Monks and Arians
Chapter L: Mahomet
Chapter LVII: The Turks
Chapter LVIII: The First Crusade
Chapter LIX: The Later Crusades
Chapter LXVIII: The Fall of Constantinople
Chapter LXXI: The End show less