"Its theme is the most overwhelming phenomenon in recorded history -- the disintegration not of a nation, but of an old and rich and apparently indestructible civilization." --Moses Hadas, editor.
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Editorial Reviews
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"A valuable addition to the history shelves...a readable version of Gibbon for the contemporary reader. Highly recommended."-- Library Journal
From the Publisher
Having traveled extensively through Spain, France, Italy, and just recently, Greece and Turkey, my wife and I have had first hand experience in discovering the physical remnants of the greatest power in the history of civilization - The Roman Empire.
From the walls of Tarragona, the theaters of Lyon, and the streets of Istanbul, I have been astounded by the engineering, artistic, and political ingenuity displayed by the Romans. The Fawcett edition of GIBBON'S DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, edited by Moses Hadas, an extremely distinguished classical scholar, affords the modern day reader a concise detail of the rich canvas that Gibbon's complete work represents. The history of Rome, the great achievements of its civilization, and the seeds of its destruction are clearly exposed in Hadas's treatment.
Anyone who cares deeply about the process of the development of modern civilization must read this book.
George Davidson, Director of Production, The Ballantine Publishing Group
From the walls of Tarragona, the theaters of Lyon, and the streets of Istanbul, I have been astounded by the engineering, artistic, and political ingenuity displayed by the Romans. The Fawcett edition of GIBBON'S DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, edited by Moses Hadas, an extremely distinguished classical scholar, affords the modern day reader a concise detail of the rich canvas that Gibbon's complete work represents. The history of Rome, the great achievements of its civilization, and the seeds of its destruction are clearly exposed in Hadas's treatment.
Anyone who cares deeply about the process of the development of modern civilization must read this book.
George Davidson, Director of Production, The Ballantine Publishing Group
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Effective Abridgement,
By A Customer
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This review is from: Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Mass Market Paperback)
I think the other reviewer misunderstands Hadas's intention. As Hadas states in his introduction, this book is intended as digest and, hopefully, a guide to the fuller work. Hadas pragmatically realizes that most readers are unlikely to undertake a multi-volume book that totals literally thousands of pages; but his abridgement -- rendered with admirable coherence for such an undertaking -- provides both a taste of the fuller work and hopefully a temptation to read it. If more scholars like Hadas existed, the great works of literature and antquity might have a broader readership today.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully abridged from the original work,
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This review is from: Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Mass Market Paperback)
Moses Hadas has done an excellent job in condensing Gibbon's masterpiece into a portable reader. Though far shorter than the original work that runs into thousands of pages, it succeeds in giving the reader a broad sense of the Decline and Fall, without bogging him down with extraneous details.
After completing this book, I was so intrigued that I bought the full 3-volume Penguin unabridged edition. Up to now, years later, I have only read about three-quarters of the first volume, and I do not expect to complete it anytime soon. It is obviously not that the unabridged version is bad, but that it is meant for a scholarly audience, and thus contains many chapters which are boring for the casual reader, such as a painfully detailed description of the Empire's finances. This abridged version omits all those parts, and leaves the reader with a compelling and coherent narrative of the process of corruption that destroyed arguably the greatest civilisation in the history of Mankind. I recommend without reservation this book to anyone with an interest in the history of past civilisations.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A clear and brief overview of a great book.,
By steven langston "searcher" (Kentucky United States) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Mass Market Paperback)
Moses Hadas was a noted classical scholar and a talented writer. His version of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon, is the most accessible version available. It retains many of Gibbons insights and offers some of Gibbon's most interesting quotes, as: "...so intimate is the connection between the throne and the alter that the banner of the church is very seldom seen on the side of the people." For anyone interested in the similarities between Rome and the United States it is a must read.
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