The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

I listened to the Audible version narrated by Charlton Griffin while following along on the ebook version. This represents about 2 months of nearly obsessive labor, plodding on through a morass of names and characters as the landscape grows increasingly dark and malevolent. The happiest chapters are the first two and there is a steady degeneration of the character and accomplishments of the Romans and their surrogates over the next 12 centuries. The final chapters are devoted to the misbehavior and vices of the residents of Rome in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance period—the banal mischief wrought by these unworthy denizens makes Gibbons’ point that the Roman Empire and Polity died from the inside more than from external invasions, plagues, and the sanguinary disputes of the Christian religious (Gibbons’ point of view). On the way to churning through this grim tale, I found myself appreciating the lapidary prose of the author and enjoying the way his sentences function as perfectly balanced statements of fact and intent. His diversions into custom, culture, economics, and the law actually proved more diverting than the tedious recitation of one psychotic and ineffectual monarch after another. If you want to understand how Churchill spoke and wrote, a grasp of Gibbons gives a good starting point. I believe everyone who aspires to an education about the history of the European and Middle Eastern world from the mid Second Century CE to the early Sixteenth Century needs to consider reading fully the unabridged version of this classic. It just happens to be very hard to finish, but well worth the effort if you succeed.

It is a very good history of a civilization from the past, the mistakes it made, and a description of the less than desirable results. It is not hard to read, but is not a mass paperback romance, either. Compound sentences, language usage of the not so long time past, and use of Latin are its most frequent. It takes time and careful attention to get the complete usage of the text, but is worth the effort.

Gibbons composed and published this six-volume work from 1776 through 1789, the time it took for America to transit from a colony to a country with a written Constitution. This work is essential for the student of Roman history. It is expensive but well worth the cost to have in your library.

I had a hard time getting used to the style of writing but, in spite of that, I had a hard time putting it down. I found it compelling, complete, and well informed, considering the date of publication. I recommend this book to any interested student of history or any who just like a good read. It covers any subject that is even remotely connected to the last centuries of the Roman empire. It left me with the desire to read the complete 6 volume work.

If I had realized gibbons's decline in fall was about more than Romans I would have read this book a long time ago. Reading it on Kindle is extremely handy. There is no need to have to have other books alongside you to look up things. Pressing on the word comes up with a definition or the meaning of terms that are ancient and strange.One learns an awful lot about the ancient civilizations in Germany and beast. It is not just about the Roman victories. There is a lot of detail about the people's who live in all of those areas. One begins to wonder who is the barbarian a lot of times when you see the cruelty dished out by the Romans and the all parties.

I am sorry, but other people buying this book need to know that reading it feels like crawling for miles face-down in the dirt through barricades and barb wire. I know it's supposed to be English, but it sure doesn't read like it.

If anyone were searching for a complete and unabridged edition of Gibbon in one vokume, your search is over. It's not anything fancy (just the text and the footnotes, no modern academic essays). Margins are wide considering the book's length and there's space at the bottom of the page and ends of chapters. Font is small, but easily readable without my glasses. You could put sticky notes without covering part of the text. The footnotes (Gibbon's own and the editors') take up a good portion of the work (8374 to be exact) but are about the same font size as the main text. They're also on the same pages so no endless flipping back and forth. Would be a handy reference book, in which case the only flipping you would have to do would be between the table of contents and the desired chapter.

Having heard about this work for many years, decided to find out what all the fuss was about. I have to say this is not a " trivial " read. It was however for me, a detailed exploration of a history of Western civilization , from it's roots. One could spend a lifetime searching out and exploring all the events, people and major changes encompassed in these three volumes. For me, it was a journey well worth the time and effort.

I am interested in the History of the Roman Empire

endlich hab ich ein "decline and fall" der auch gut handzuhaben ist, der buch ist ja das wahrscheinlich lustigste werk in der geschichte das geschichtesschreibens - wer nicht schafft durch Mommsen sollte Gibbon lesen.

It is a great book, and it is a "must read" for everyone interested in roman history. I love this book. I own only an abridged version of the book, and I wanted the complete version. I choose this volume in order to save money. It was my fault. Actually I didn't save anything, because I can barely use it. The writing is so small, that it is difficult to read it. The maps also (I can barely see something on the maps) . And the volume is so big, I can hardly carry it with me, when I want to use it outside my apartment. I am considering ordering a 6 volume edition.

This is a lovely edition, with some attractive prints of the ancient Roman ruins. I've enjoyed reading the Decline and Fall, and this is an ideal celebratory edition! It's not an unabrideged edition, but its an attractive addition to any library.

Great book but it isn’t the complete 6 volumes.