The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by David P. Womersley

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Abridged Edition

David P. Womersley, Edward Gibbon

Penguin Publishing Group · Print & ebook · January 1, 2001

Edward Gibbon's six-volume History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776-88) is among the most magnificent and ambitious narratives in European literature.

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Who it’s for
A trimmed Gibbon, for when you want the famous sweep without the shelf-clearing commitment.
Genres
Ancient Rome, Byzantine History, Ancient Warfare
Published
Penguin Publishing Group, January 1, 2001

About this book

Edward Gibbon's six-volume History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776-88) is among the most magnificent and ambitious narratives in European literature. Its subject is the fate of one of the world's greatest civilizations over thirteen centuries - its rulers, wars and society, and the events that led to its disastrous collapse.

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Here, in volumes three and four, Gibbon vividly recounts the waves of barbarian invaders under commanders such as Alaric and Attila, who overran and eventually destroyed the West. He then turns his gaze to events in the East, where even the achievements of the Byzantine emperor Justinian and the campaigns of the brilliant military leader Belisarius could not conceal the fundamental weaknesses of their empire. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Condensed Gibbon

A trimmed Gibbon, for when you want the famous sweep without the shelf-clearing commitment.

Come here for

  • Gibbon in condensed form
  • cultural touchstone without the sprawl

Expect

  • layered historical argument
  • usable in long stretches or brief dips

Where it sits

Ancient Rome99%
Byzantine History80%
Ancient Warfare49%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Ancient Rome
  • Historiography
  • Civilizations
Authors
David P. Womersley, Edward Gibbon
Publisher
Penguin Publishing Group
Published
January 1, 2001
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Ancient Rome