I Read Books: Rome: A History In Seven Sackings
Puzzled at how to approach writing a history of Rome that will do it justice while taking account of 2,500 years, the author came up with the idea, possibly in dubious taste, of hanging events on seven times the city has been sacked, or at least occupied in one way or another. The book is therefore in seven sections (with introductory sections and a final note). Each of those sections begins with setting the scene and explaining how an army was preparing to sack the city (later chapters giving some of the history since the last sack). Then we get a look at the city as it existed at the time. Then we get the actual sack and the aftermath.
It reads well and quickly, the inevitable sack drawing you on through the descriptions of life in the city, and showing how vulnerable and contingent the current set up is. If I say that I wanted a little more daily life than big picture stuff, that’s perhaps my personal preference, and for some of the later periods (19th, 20th century) where the historical details were not at my fingertips I certainly appreciated it.
Read This: For a popular history with an entertaining gimmick
Don’t Read This: If you prefer details rather than gimmickery
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