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SPQR
- A History of Ancient Rome
- Narrated by: Phyllida Nash
- Length: 18 hrs and 30 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Sunday Times top 10 best seller.
Shortlisted for a British Book Industry Book of the Year Award 2016.
The new series Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit is on BBC2.
Ancient Rome matters.
Its history of empire, conquest, cruelty and excess is something against which we still judge ourselves. Its myths and stories - from Romulus and Remus to the Rape of Lucretia - still strike a chord with us. And its debates about citizenship, security and the rights of the individual still influence our own debates on civil liberty today.
SPQR is a new look at Roman history from one of the world's foremost classicists. It explores not only how Rome grew from an insignificant village in Central Italy to a power that controlled territory from Spain to Syria, but also how the Romans thought about themselves and their achievements, and why they are still important to us. Covering 1,000 years of history and casting fresh light on the basics of Roman culture from slavery to running water, as well as exploring democracy, migration, religious controversy, social mobility and exploitation in the larger context of the empire, this is a definitive history of ancient Rome.
SPQR is the Romans' own abbreviation for their state: Senatus Populusque Romanus, 'the Senate and People of Rome'.
What listeners say about SPQR
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 30-07-2024
Absolutely brilliant
Third time reading and I can’t get enough! It’s absolutely the best read for anyone wanting to explore the ancients!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Fedel
- 02-08-2024
History!!
Very detailed and interesting snap shot into Ancient Rome. Filled with info about emperors, way of life and conquests.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 26-11-2021
a thorough work.
enjoyed it very much. a thorough work that has given me a understanding of the period.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Malcolm
- 28-07-2022
Fascinating and fresh
This well researched and well written book is a fascinating and fresh take on ancient Rome. Well worth the time.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Abe Killian
- 01-10-2023
Very Detailed
A very detailed look at Ancient Rome up until the 2nd Century, or the end of the Claudian Era.
Overall the book is very interesting, and added a lot to my understanding. Would be great for students as it doesn't dwell on anything too long.
Personally I would have liked to have some information of what people outside Rome (either in the colonies or the wider world) thought of the Romans. We know that Arab scholars wrote about them, but the juxtaposition between their thoughts and the Romans we hear from in this work would have been great.
This is very much a Classicists view of Rome, so there's no real surprises - which isn't a bad thing I guess.
The narration is excellent. I felt a bit like I was at school with a really well informed teacher! The authoritarian nature of the voice over adds weight to it. excellent casting.
Good for history students, especially high school, but if you've already read widely and you're after something new, this may not be as interesting.qql
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Steve
- 29-10-2023
Great for someone already knowledgeable on Roman history
This book was quite good, but for anyone that is dipping their toe into Roman history I would suggest they read a quick summary (like a Wikipedia page) on the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and early Roman Empire to gain a framework for the time period of this book. It jumps around a bit and goes into minute detail, so it’s best approached as a book providing a great deal of context and colour for someone who already has a basic knowledge on the topic. I found I had to stop several times and zoom out to figure out what time period or circumstances were being discussed.
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