The Decline and Fall of the Roman Emp..., Edward Gibbon
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Emp..., Edward Gibbon
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The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume II

Author: Edward Gibbon

Narrator: David Timson

Unabridged: 22 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Naxos

Published: 03/03/2014


Synopsis

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire has always maintained its initial appeal to both the general public and scholars alike. Its sheer scale is daunting, encompassing over a millennium of history, covering not merely the Western Empire from the days of the early emperors to its extinction in AD 476, but also the Eastern Empire, which lasted for another thousand years until the Turks vanquished it in 1453. But Gibbon’s style, part historical fact and part literature, is enticing, and the sheer honesty of the man, who endeavours to be scrupulously impartial in his presentation, endears him to the reader. In this recording, David Timson incorporates the most salient of Gibbon’s footnotes. In Volume II (Chapters XVI–XXVI), Gibbon continues his powerful history of the Empire, shining the spotlight on some of the best-known figures and their impact on the growing influence of Christianity, including Nero and, three centuries later, Constantine, whose establishment of Constantinople resulted in the division of the Empire into East and West. Gibbon also presents a sympathetic portrait of Julian, whose wisdom, courage and clarity bore the hallmarks of the great emperor that Rome needed.

About Edward Gibbon

Edward Gibbon (1737–1794), an English historian and member of Parliament, had little formal education. He went to Oxford, but was forced to leave when he converted to Roman Catholicism. His family then sent him to Lausanne, where he was reconverted to Protestantism. His most important work, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Roy on August 17, 2015

As I’ve already written two panegyric reviews of Gibbon, I’ll keep this one short. In fact, I only want to say something briefly about prose style. Anyone who peruses a few books on writing will notice some similarities. We are advised to write short sentences, to use simple words, and generally to......more

Goodreads review by Michael on March 09, 2021

Extraordinary like Part 1, Gibbon takes us from the period following Constantine forward about 600 years to the 11th century. It is masterful writing full of sarcasm and humor which helps one muddle through the thousands of names and dynasties. I really enjoyed his discussion of the Goths and the Hu......more

Goodreads review by Justin on July 03, 2014

Ah, the paradoxes of contemporary publishing: Gibbon is generally divided into three books, with two 'volumes' per book; here we have volumes three and four. That makes perfectly good sense, on the one hand, since six books would be very expensive and two books would each be unwieldy. However, due t......more

Goodreads review by Arnis on August 22, 2020

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Goodreads review by Yair on June 15, 2023

Luego de la ciclópea y a la vez, mágica y estimulante labor de leer las 1.178 páginas que componen este volumen II de la "Decadencia y caída del Imperio Romano" de su señoría Edward Gibbon, es importante resaltar que la presente reseña sólo se ocupará de la formidable y soberbia edición de Atalanta......more