The Roman Remains of Southern France: A Guide Book [Paperback]

James Bromwich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 1996

The Roman Remains of Southern France is the only specialist guidebook to this region available. It is the result of the most up-to-date research. Comprehensive in coverage, it provides depth and context while evoking the distinctive atmosphere of the place.
The book is easy to use, with a large number of maps, site plans and photographs and it will enable the traveller to explore the major cultural contribution made by the Romans to this part of France.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'... contains not only copious entries of sites large and small but also museum opening times and similar useful information. If you plan to travel in the area, buy this.' - Ancient August

'Having already put it to good use, I can unhesitatingly vouch for The Roman Remains of Southern France. This excellent guidebook is systematically organized ... highly informative at both the practical and the academic level while also serving the needs of a wider audience ... generously (for the price) and adroitly illustrated, and fully comprehensive;' - Greece & Rome

'... covers the imperial provinces ... from the Pyrenees to the Cote d'Azur with a brief history, brisk and efficient descriptions of sites, and an abundance of site plans and diagrams.' - The Times

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; New Ed edition (August 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415143586
• ISBN-13: 978-0415143585
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #942,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of a kind!, April 11, 2003

By 

HappyDaze11 - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Roman Remains of Southern France: A Guide Book (Paperback)

This book came highly recommended on various chat and message boards for fans of Southern France. I totally understand why. As the South of France and Riviera was a tremendously wealthy Roman area, it is literally full of some of the best ruins and museums devoted to the glory that was Rome to be found anywhere outside of Rome. However, while the Roman areas of Italy are extensively documnted, there is very little on sites in France. This book is the only and best guide to those remains.

This book reviews unearthed Roman towns, such as Vaison La Romain which is 2nd in the world to Pompeii in terms of intact towns. It maps out both the town itself, and also the layouts of many of the larger mansions that are partially standing, along with various anecdotes about the ruins.

This book reviews of course, the larger aqueducts, theaters, forums, and the like, with startling amounts of backround information on each, but this book finds many items of interest that are completely off the radar screen, such as chasms carved into rock that brought the water to towns, old Roman pipework, roadside monuments in the middle of nowhere, the best places at which to examine the old Roman roads, etc.

I have used this book on two trips to the region, and find it amazing. Even at the larger, marked, and serviced monuments, this book can take you just a little farther up the hill, or put what you are examining in a certain perspective so as to get 'the rest of the story' as Paul Harvey says.

This is an amazingly god book, for the intrepid traveler, the armchair archaelogist, and the itinerant tourist. Pick it UP!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars scholarly but readable, July 7, 2004

By 

EHN (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Roman Remains of Southern France: A Guide Book (Paperback)

This book proved to be most useful when I was planning a recent trip to Provence. I took it with me and found it to be a wonderful companion guide. The author clearly has a deep knowledge of the subject. Along with his descriptions of the various sites I especially liked his digressions into subjects like Roman theater and spectacles. I think some of the discussions of small local museums could have been cut and the photographs should be of better quality. Also the maps could be adapted for the general reader. Something to think about if they publish another edition. That said, if you are interested in the ancient Roman remains of Southern France, this is the book to have.

4.0 out of 5 stars For the "Romano-phile" in Southern France Only, May 30, 2007

By 

Stephen (Harvard, Morocco) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Roman Remains of Southern France: A Guide Book (Paperback)

If you are interested in Roman history, and plan to travel to southern France, this book might interest you, otherwise look no further.

The subject matter is narrow in scope, and rarely is their a diversion in text. Southern France (note Lyon is not included) is saturated in Roman ruins, and untangling the more interesting from the less is a challenge this book helps to navigate.

The maps can be hard to follow when visiting sites. The terminology is at times quite technical (ie. in describing elements of architecture). The emphasis is specifically on the existing ruins and less on the history of the sites reviewed.

This book did help me organize my visit to southern France. I know of no other book on this subject. It took 6 weeks to receive it from an Amazon associated seller, presumably because it is such a rare book.