Customer Reviews

The Oxford Illustrated History of Roman Britain

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are looking for a single book on the history of Roman Britain, this is the book that you want. The author, Peter Salway, is one of the most prominent historians of this epoch, and wrote the updated first volume of the Oxford History of England that replaced Collingwood's classic in this series. There is a wealth of information in this book, Salway traces the history of Roman Britain from Caeser's initial aborted invasion to the collapse of the Roman Empire five centuries laters. This is partly a traditional history that summarized events, places, and people, but Salway also discusses cultural, religious, and societal trends as well. In addition, this volume contains hundreds of photos (many in color), maps, line drawings of archeaological digs, and prints of tapestries and mosaics. This book lies somewhere between a purely scholarly work and a popular work, probably closer to the scholarly side. A magesterial work, but a little less dense and more approachable than Salway's `Roman Britain'. For any true student of the era, this is a must have, and for someone with even a passing interest I would still highly recommend this book. A fine addition to any collection.