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A thrilling portrait of the city at the heart of Western civilization, brought to life in twenty-two scenes from its 2,500-year history.

A portrait of the city at the heart of Western civilization, brought to life in twenty-two scenes from its 2,500-year history.

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The sweeping story of the city of Rome, told through twenty-two moments that shaped its history.

A Times History Book of the Year

´Vivid, pacey ... Superb´ The Times .
´Grand narrative underpinned by serious reading´ Guardian .
´Confident, elegant ... Admirably ambitious´ Daily Mail .

From Romulus and Remus to the films of Fellini, Rome has always exerted a hold on the world´s imagination. Now Ferdinand Addis brings the city of Rome to life by concentrating on vivid episodes from its long and unimaginably rich history.

Each beautifully composed chapter is an evocative, self-contained narrative, whether it is the murder of Caesar; the near-destruction of the city by the Gauls in 387 BC; the construction of the Colosseum and the fate of the gladiators; Bernini´s creation of the Baroque masterpiece that is St Peter´s Basilica; the brutal crushing of republican dreams in 1849; the sinister degeneration of Mussolini´s first state, or the magical, corrupt Rome of Fellini´s La Dolce Vita .

This is an epic, kaleidoscopic history of a city indelibly associated with republicanism and dictatorship, Christian orthodoxy and its rivals, high art and low life in all its forms.

REVIEWS FOR ROME :

´Superb ... Rome´s history is written in blood and Addis, who has a vivid, pacey writing style, spares not the squeamish as he describes three millennia of violence from the first kings to Il Duce´ The Times .

´This is a confident, elegant account of the city´s progress ... [Addis´s] version is admirably ambitious and succeeds splendidly in a task that would daunt lesser authors´ Daily Mail .

´[Addis] brings Rome´s history alive through grand narrative ... The snappy paragraphs are underpinned by serious reading ... Addis´s chosen formula is to serve up selected highlights but to come at them from quirky angles´ Guardian .

´From its ancient foundation to the Second World War, via Gauls, ghettos and gladiators , its 22 chapters focus on the themes of individuals, myths and beliefs´ BBC World Histories .

´He brings the myth of Rome alive by concentrating on vivid episodes from its rich history. This is a book about people, and their experiences, prejudices and beliefs´ Oxford Times .

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´Superb ... Rome´s history is written in blood and Addis, who has a vivid, pacey writing style, spares not the squeamish as he describes three millennia of violence from the first kings to Il Duce´ The Times .

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