A History of the Roman Republic Paperback – Illustrated, 17 Jan. 2007

A great book that covers the history of Rome from the founding of the city to Augustus' solidification of power. The main focus is the social and political/constitutional aspects of Roman society, and is given proper historical context by giving an in-depth chronological narrative of the development of the Roman empire. Whilst no particular knowledge is assumed of the reader, this book would be a very difficult read without some basic background in ancient history.Positives:Goes into sufficient depth for the keen amateur historian (and I would guess for an undergraduate source) without being overbearingBlends in ancient sources, archeological finds and the view points of historians past and present very wellWell structured - while it is over all chronological the author doesn't shy from grouping events by themes to make them more understandableNegatives:Lack of maps or glossary of Latin terms can be frustratingThe author has a tendency to make overlong sentences with too many sub-clauses, making some passages difficult to parse (I counted a single sentence being 5 lines long with 8 commas)The author argues for his view/interpretation of events strongly at times, without giving the counter-argument enough credit (for example: Sulla wasn't interested in self aggrandisement, or Augustus reign was beneficial).The positives vastly outweigh the negatives if you are looking for a book to guide you through the evolution of society in the Roman republic.

Good. Bit stuffy around the Roman constitution chapter, and the struggle of the orders, but this seems more or less inevitable! An interesting mix of analysis and narrative elsewhere. Some great source material I haven't come across before.