Customer Reviews

Barbarians within the Gates of Rome : A Study of Roman Military Policy and the Barbarians, Ca. 375-425 A.D.

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Thomas Burns' BARBARIANS WITHIN THE GATES OF ROME manages something quite difficult. It is a very readable book that manages to be scholarly but still quite enjoyable. Anybody who is interested in this era in western civilization would enjoy this book. The usual view of the decline of Rome-- that it fell for some sort of "moral" reason --is very inacurate and this book presents the real truth of this pivotal era in a very entertaining manner. Burns is the rare academic whose writing is as lucid as it is learned, and this book admirably displays that. If you've never given this era a serious look, this book is a great introduction. I've been interested in the early years of Christianity for many years, and I loved this book.

This is indeed an excellent book for those who wish to better understand Western civilisation and the nature of the relationships between the Romans and other groups within the Empire.

The book is well-written and is the result of outstanding research.