Rome: The Biography of a City [Paperback]

Christopher Hibbert (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0140070788 | ISBN-13: 978-0140070781 | Publication Date: March 1, 1988

This beautifully written, informative study is a portrait, a history and a superb guide book, capturing fully the seductive beauty and the many layered past of the Eternal City. It covers 3,000 years of history from the city's quasi-mythical origins, through the Etruscan kings, the opulent glory of classical Rome, the decadence and decay of the Middle Ages and the beauty and corruption of the Renaissance, to its time at the heart of Mussolini's fascist Italy. Exploring the city's streets and buildings, peopled with popes, gladiators, emperors, noblemen and peasants, this volume details the turbulent and dramatic history of Rome in all its depravity and grandeur.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (March 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140070788
• ISBN-13: 978-0140070781
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #268,330 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing look at the timeless city, October 18, 2000

By 

Paul Bobbitt "Pobbit" (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rome: The Biography of a City (Paperback)

Hibbert presents Rome in a refreshing and vibrant light. Starting with the foundations of the city and the Romulus and Remus myth, and continuing through the days of empire, the barbarian onslaught, the rise of the church, the medieval era, and the city in more modern times, he links location, biography and history in a way that continually excites. Well illustrated, with maps, diagrams, paintings and photos, this book should be essential preparatory reading before visiting the Eternal City. (For a modern guide including information on restaurants, etc, to act as a good counterpart to this historical book, I recommend looking at Let's Go Rome. I used both these books on my two week trip in 1999, and didn't require any other references.)

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reads like a novel, July 15, 2001

By 

Ed "Ed" (NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rome: The Biography of a City (Paperback)

I planned to visit Rome and was told Mr Hibbert's book was better than any travel guide. I was worried it would be a boring, textbook read. To my surprise, I was absolutely engrossed from cover to cover. The endnotes were a bit too inclusive for my taste, but for a true historian, the information would be captivating. Mr. Hibbert's focus on numerous Vatican events is eye opening.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Concise History of Rome, October 25, 2001

By 

Joe "Joefitz227" (Durham, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rome: The Biography of a City (Paperback)

This is a good book for those interested in learning about general Rome History but not necessarily in reading thick textbooks. If you're interested in learning about specific periods/events (or the Roman Empire as a whole), you might want to look elsewhere. If you're interested in reading about a great city as a whole, this is a solid choice.