The Fall of the Roman Empire

Peter Heather

Pan Macmillan, Sep 24, 2010 - History - 592 pages

In AD 378 the Roman Empire had been the unrivalled superpower of Europe for well over four hundred years. And yet, August that year saw a small group of German-speaking asylum-seekers rout a vast Imperial army at Hadrianople, killing the Emperor and establishing themselves on Roman territory. Within a hundred years the last Emperor of the Western Empire had been deposed. What had gone wrong? In this ground breaking book, Peter Heather proproses a stunning new solution to one of the greatest mysteries of history. Mixing authoratative analysis with thrilling narrative, he brings fresh insight into the panorama of the empire's end, from the bejewelled splendour of the imperial court to the dripping forests of "Barbaricum". He examines the extraordinary success story that was the Roman Empire and uses a new understanding of its continued strength and enduring limitations to show how Europe's barbarians, transformed by centuries of contact with Rome, eventually pulled it apart. 'a colourful and enthralling narrative . . .an account full of keen wit and an infectious relish for the period.’ Independent On Sunday ‘provides the reader with drama and lurid colour as well as analysis . . . succeeds triumphantly.’ Sunday Times ‘a fascinating story, full of ups and downs and memorable characters’ Spectator ‘bursting with action . . .one can recommend to anyone, whether specialist or interested amateur.’ History Today 'a rare combination of scholarship and flair for narrative' Tom Holland

What people are saying

Review: The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians

User Review  - Nathanael - Goodreads

I'm no history buff and picked this book up on a whim, but it proved to surprisingly readable and coherent. If you have some interest in the subject matter, you probably won't go wrong reading this book.

Review: The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians

User Review  - Deb - Goodreads

I am finally admitting I abandoned this one about a third of the way through. I don't dislike it. One reason I am abandoning is is that I need to read it for more than 10-15 minutes at a time so that ...

About the author

Peter Heather was born in Northern Ireland in 1960 and educated at Maidstone Grammar School and New College, Oxford. He has taught at University College, London, and Yale University, and is currently a Fellow of Medieval History at Worcester College, Oxford.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Fall of the Roman Empire
• Author: Peter Heather
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan, 2010
• ISBN: 0330529838, 9780330529839
• Length: 592 pages
• Subjects: History / Europe / General