Dr. Mary Beard ( DBE, FSA, FBA, FRSL) brings together in this small volume an immense amount of history. I have been exposed to a fair amount of Roman history in dribs and drabs over the years, but this narrative brings it all together from what we know of the kings, through the republic and empire until the 1.0 version of the empire created by Octavian ceased to be what it once was after a dozen first citizens.

My favorite piece of this is the up to date (to 2015) scholarship and archeology and what it tells us about the everyday human beings who lived in that world. A pleasure to consume