A History of Rome

Rating:
Summary: A good summary of Roman history
Review: Cyril Robinson's History of Rome is an interesting and well-written overview of Roman history. It is focused mainly on political developments and is based mostly on written sources, rather than archaeological discoveries. There are also brief overviews of social, economic and literary history. Robinson's book was written in the 1940s, and thus doesn't address the results of more recent scholarship or newer archaeological discoveries, but given its focus on political developments, this is not a serious drawback for a general reader.

Despite what an earlier reviewer claims, the book covers Roman history from its beginnings in about the 7th century BC up until the fall of the empire, although the middle part of the book covering the late Republic and early Empire (the so-called Central Period) is more detailed than either the early or later period. Thus, only the end of the history overlaps with Gibbon's Decline and Fall. It is apples and oranges to compare Gibbon's lengthy history of the end of the empire with a one-volume summary of all of Roman history. For a reader looking for a broad general understanding of the entire history of Rome, Robinson is a much more suitable choice than Gibbon.

I also think it is unfair to accuse Robinson of being either elitist or anti-Semitic, as one of the earlier reviewers has. Robinson's comments about moral decay, the mob, etc., are based the views of the ancient Romans themselves and ancient historians like Tacitus. Some of these moral judgments sound old-fashioned to modern ears, but they represent the traditional understanding of Roman history and anyone interested in Roman history should be aware of them. There are no comments in the book that I would consider anti-Semitic, and I would point out that when Robinson refers to Semites, he is sometimes referring to the Carthaginians (descended from the Phoenicians of the Bible and Greek history), not to the Jews.

Overall, for a reader looking for a well-written and concise overview of Roman history from a traditional viewpoint, Robinson is a good choice.

Contrary to the impression an earlier reviewer gives, the narrator of the audio version is not Cyril Robinson, who died many years ago. I have no idea how Mr. Robinson spoke, but he was a teacher at Winchester School in England, and the narrator is presumably attempting to speak in the accent that he imagines Mr. Robinson would have used. The narrator uses a dramatic Churchillian English accent. To my ears, the accent sounded somewhat stagey and not like the narrator's natural speaking voice, but not in a bothersome way. In general, the narration is pleasant and easy to understand, and the low-key sound effects are done effectively. There are, however, a fair number of mispronounced words, mostly of Greek and Roman names (e.g., Ptolemy, Domitian), but occasionally of English words as well (e.g., Hertfordshire, quay, peninsula, presbyter). There are also instances where the narrator uses the classical Latin pronunciation of Roman names when there are well-accepted English versions of the name (e.g., Scipio, Boadicia). I found the pronunciation choices to be a bit of a distraction, but overall, the narration is clear and effective, and I would recommend the audio version to all but total Anglophobes. Also, I purchased it through Audible, which I would recommend over the cassette tapes as being much more convenient.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!
Review: I'm no judge of the content per se, but I can say it's a very stimulating experience to listen to. I wasn't looking for anything "origianl," just a better understanding of Roman history that could hold my attention. And that's just what I got.

What another reviewer has called "dated" is a very polished British accent, that shows training, as you might hear on the stage. It's an absolute pleasure to listen to. It gives the reading a classical and dramatic tone which really enhances the already well writen text. Perhaps those who find it dated just don't get out enough. Maybe they'd prefer a more modern American reading from someone like Adam Sandler. You can easily listen to a sampe from the Audible site and decide for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!
Review: I've listened to a lot of books on tape, especially nonfiction, and this is one of the best. If you like history, this is a real gem. Chapters are separated by music and sound effects, and they really add to the drama. I studied classics in college and Cyril Robinson was one of the authors we were assigned. His work is beautifully written and very carefully researched. I read some of the comments below and am distressed that such a wonderful author as Robinson should be slandered so needlessly. I'm Jewish myself and heard absolutely nothing here which would qualify as anti-Semitic. It is a well known historical fact that the Eastern Mediterranean was indeed a very corrupt place in the third and second centuries BC. When the Romans conquered that area, they imported that corruption...and it had telling effects in the years to follow. I'm sorry if the historical truth hurts some people, but it's certainly no reflection on people who are living today. I can only assume these people have some sort of agenda that does not include historical accuracy. Also, I noted that someone tried to compare Professor Robinson's work with Gibbon. That's a stretch. Gibbon was concerned with what happened from the second century AD until the dissolution of the empire. Robinson takes us from the very beginning of Roman history around 700 BC and ends his story just before the final chaos which Gibbon is concerned with. These are totally different histories. In short, if you are a true lover of accurate history well written (and in this case, superbly recorded), then you should definitely pick up a copy of this classic work of ancient history.

Rating:
Summary: An exhilerating listening experience
Review: I've listened to a lot of books on tape, especially nonfiction, and this is one of the best. If you like history, this is a real gem. Chapters are separated by music and sound effects, and they really add to the drama. I studied classics in college and Cyril Robinson was one of the authors we were assigned. His work is beautifully written and very carefully researched. I read some of the comments below and am distressed that such a wonderful author as Robinson should be slandered so needlessly. I'm Jewish myself and heard absolutely nothing here which would qualify as anti-Semitic. It is a well known historical fact that the Eastern Mediterranean was indeed a very corrupt place in the third and second centuries BC. When the Romans conquered that area, they imported that corruption...and it had telling effects in the years to follow. I'm sorry if the historical truth hurts some people, but it's certainly no reflection on people who are living today. I can only assume these people have some sort of agenda that does not include historical accuracy. Also, I noted that someone tried to compare Professor Robinson's work with Gibbon. That's a stretch. Gibbon was concerned with what happened from the second century AD until the dissolution of the empire. Robinson takes us from the very beginning of Roman history around 700 BC and ends his story just before the final chaos which Gibbon is concerned with. These are totally different histories. In short, if you are a true lover of accurate history well written (and in this case, superbly recorded), then you should definitely pick up a copy of this classic work of ancient history.

Rating:
Summary: Nothing original
Review: In language both simple and elegant, Cyril Robinson has left us a masterpiece of early 20th century historical writing. This History of Rome is easily the finest of its type. It is comprehensive enough (18 hours of narrative) to include everything of significance, yet concise enough not to get bogged down in arcane details. I highly recommend this for anyone who has a lay person's interest in ancient history. The narration is superb and very dramatic at times. Chapters are separated by wonderful drums and sound effects, which greatly enhance the mood.