SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

by Mary Beard (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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ISBN-13: 978-1631492228

ISBN-10: 1631492225

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New York Times Bestseller

A New York Times Notable Book

Named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, Foreign Affairs, and Kirkus Reviews

Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award (Nonfiction)

Shortlisted for the Cundill Prize in Historical Literature

Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize (History)

A San Francisco Chronicle Holiday Gift Guide Selection

A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice Selection

A sweeping, "magisterial" history of the Roman Empire from one of our foremost classicists shows why Rome remains "relevant to people many centuries later" (Atlantic).

In SPQR, an instant classic, Mary Beard narrates the history of Rome "with passion and without technical jargon" and demonstrates how "a slightly shabby Iron Age village" rose to become the "undisputed hegemon of the Mediterranean" (Wall Street Journal). Hailed by critics as animating "the grand sweep and the intimate details that bring the distant past vividly to life" (Economist) in a way that makes "your hair stand on end" (Christian Science Monitor) and spanning nearly a thousand years of history, this "highly informative, highly readable" (Dallas Morning News) work examines not just how we think of ancient Rome but challenges the comfortable historical perspectives that have existed for centuries. With its nuanced attention to class, democratic struggles, and the lives of entire groups of people omitted from the historical narrative for centuries, SPQR will to shape our view of Roman history for decades to come.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book tracks the rise of Rome from backwater village to imperial city, spreading its power from Syria to Spain by 63 BCE, staring down resisters, and originating the idea of nation and citizenship. Included here are the stories not just of Julius Caesar but the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker―and certainly women and slaves."
― Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal

"In SPQR, her wonderful concise history, Mary Beard unpacks the secrets of the city’s success with a crisp and merciless clarity that I have not seen equaled anywhere else…. We tend to think of the Romans as coarser successors to the Greeks. Yet Beard, who doubles as a Cambridge professor and a television lecturer of irresistible salty charm, shows us how the Roman Republic got underway at almost the same time as the Athenian democracy. And it evolved into just the kind of mixed system that sophisticated commentators like Aristotle and Polybius approved of."
― Ferdinand Mount, New York Times Book Review

"Beard does precisely what few popularizers dare to try and plenty of dons can’t pull off: She conveys the thrill of puzzling over texts and events that are bound to be ambiguous, and she complicates received wisdom in the process. Her magisterial new history of Rome, SPQR…is no exception…. The ancient Romans, Beard shows, are relevant to people many centuries later who struggle with questions of power, citizenship, empire, and identity."
― Emily Wilson, The Atlantic

"A masterful new chronicle…. Beard is a sure-footed guide through arcane material that, in other hands, would grow tedious. Sifting myth from fact in dealing with the early history of the city, she enlivens―and deepens―scholarly debates by demonstrating how the Romans themselves shaped their legendary beginnings to short-term political ends…. Exemplary popular history, engaging but never dumbed down, providing both the grand sweep and the intimate details that bring the distant past vividly to life."
― The Economist

"Where SPQR differs most from the standard history is in its clear-sighted honesty…. Beard tells this story precisely and clearly, with passion and without technical jargon…. SPQR is a grim success story, but one told with wonderful flair."
― Greg Woolf, The Wall Street Journal

"[Beard] is no myth builder; she is a scholar who reaches down-to-earth conclusions based on her years of dedication to her subject…. She is able to step back to see the entire Roman world…. She shows us how to engage with the history, culture, and controversies that made Rome―and why it still matters. Beard's enthusiasm for her subject is infectious…. Lovers of Roman history will revel in this work, and new students will quickly become devotees."
― Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"[Fun] helps define what sets Beard apart as commentator and what sets SPQR apart from other histories of Rome. Though she here claims that 50 years of training and study have led up to SPQR, Beard wears her learning lightly. As she takes us through the brothels, bars, and back alleys where the populus Romanus left their imprint, one senses, above all, that she is having fun."
― James Romm, New Republic

"Monumental…. A triumphant Roman read that is sure to appear on school curricula and holiday wishlists alike."
― Carly Silver, Shelf Awareness --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

A professor of classics at Cambridge University, Mary Beard is the author of the best-selling SPQR and Women & Power and the National Book Critics Circle Award–nominated Confronting the Classics. A popular blogger and television personality, Beard is a regular contributor to the New York Review of Books. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0108U7IHO
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Liveright; 1st edition (November 9, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 9, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 99641 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 623 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0871404230
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #27,452 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #4 in Ancient Roman History (Kindle Store)
- #19 in Ancient Roman History (Books)
- #248 in History (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4,028 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		68%
4 star		18%
3 star		8%
2 star		3%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from the United States

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S.B.

An excellent Social History, but a Poor Introduction to the Chronology

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2017

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Prof Beard's SPQR is an excellent social history but not a good introduction to Roman History. She assumes that you have a reasonable grasp of the over arching political course of the empire, especially during the some 200 years of the imperial phase "covered" by this book. I say "covered" as so little is described regarding the political development of the empire. She chose to end her treatise during reign of Caracalla, but this is somewhat arbitrary as any details of his tyranny are given only in passing. She could have chosen to end her work during the reign of Alexander Severus, Commodus, or even Marcus Aurelius with no significant additions or omissions, though she does explain and justify her choice.

That being said, it's clear that Prof. Beard did not set out to write a political history of Rome, but to focus on the lives of the average people that lived in the era and to tell, as best as she is able, their stories. Part of her intention in so blithely glossing over the doings of the emperors is to highlight how little effect the political realm had on the lives of ordinary people. This she does very well, despite limited written records as compared to the lives of the wealthy. Beard brings to life how ordinary people sustained themselves, what careers they may have pursued, what they may have hoped for and how they lived. I found all this to be very well told and an aspect of Rome too often glossed over in favor of the more flashy tales of intrigue that pervaded imperial roman politics.

However, it needs to be said that Prof. Beard's work is a bit inconsistent in its intent and presentation. The first half dealing with the Republican era delves deeply into the political realm. She tries to highlight social aspects as best as she is able, but the poverty of primary records from that era limits what we can reasonably expect to know. Her lens focuses intently on Julius Caesar (as one would expect), the civil wars that followed, and the reign of Augustus. Tiberius and Caligula get passing mention but the remainder of the period "covered" is dominated by the social history, which again is fascinating and well presented, but the shift in focus is a bit jarring.

If you are new to the study of Roman History, I would not recommend this book as its approach to the chronology is too haphazard to do anything other than confuse the neophyte. If, on the other-hand, you have a general sense of the historical narrative and are looking to flesh out your understanding and understand how Romans outside the imperial bubble lived, then you will be very well served by Prof. Beard's work.

232 people found this helpful

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JustinTop Contributor: Star Wars

Boring. Don't waste your time or money.

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2018

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I don't think I've made it a hundred pages. I've never read a book so boring. I should have known better to go as far as I did. Any book that has the name Barrack Obama written in its first few pages is most likely a horrible book. There is no real history here. I suggest reading The storm before the storm by Mike Duncan. That book is filled with history about the Roman Republic. Still looking for a good book on the Empire though.

124 people found this helpful

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Samantha K Sipper

I will admit that this wasn't an easy read for me

Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2017

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I will admit that this wasn't an easy read for me. Although I have a deep interest in learning about the Romans, I found myself lost for the first half of the book. I started it over again after reading the first 100 pages, and this helped me some. Still, I felt that a dearth of knowledge hindered me from getting all that I could out of the book. So here's what I did get from it. First, archaeological finds don't automatically tell the whole story. There's actually quite a bit of thought that goes into telling a story the way it is thought to have happened. I do mean "thought to have happened" because there really isn't any way to know for sure, especially when looking back at something that took place over 2,000 years ago. Even when the evidence is strong, questions always remain. Secondly, the ancient world was full of brutality, uncertainty, and hardship. I'm not just talking about the murder of Julius Caesar, which was so brutal that it is still jolting to this modern reader. I'm also referring to other deaths that occurred by decapitation, crucifixion, poisoning, and one specific tale about a suicidal fellow who cut open his own stomach and pulled out his internal organs. After Rome was claimed by the emperors, there was always an uneasy alliance between the emperor and the senators. Although much of the blueprint for how emperors would rule was established by Augustus, this is one area that was still a question mark, and would remain so. While the author spends a great deal of time on the rich, she also tries to go beyond and give readers a look at the daily lives of the Roman masses. There are sections of the book that describe the jobs they performed, the housing they occupied, and how they spent their leisure hours. Unfortunately, the examples are few, simply because there isn't much recorded information available about the average Roman citizen. Thirdly, I learned that the same things that drive the world today are the things that drove the men of antiquity. The lust for power and the desire for riches hasn't changed over the millennia. Roman vices are our vices, but their virtues are ours as well. On a final note, even though this book is highly rated by critics, as a potential reader I wouldn't start with it until I had a solid background on the history of Rome, or essentially until I knew some facts. Armed with facts, this book becomes a much more enjoyable read, and readers will certainly get more out of it.

110 people found this helpful

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Victor Vögel

Readable and engaging history of the Roman world, but not an introductory text

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2017

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Mary Beard’s “SPQR” is an excellent, readable and engaging history of the Roman world from its beginnings through the times of the second emperor of the Severan dynasty, Caracalla, in 212 CE. The style is popular and non-academic, yet fraught with novel facts and ideas. In my opinion, it is not an introductory text and therefore not suited for someone with no knowledge of Ancient Rome or with just a passing knowledge. It works better to supplement an existing knowledge of Roman history and to help one think critically about historical events. For the absolute beginner, I would suggest reading something more accessible to obtain an initial familiarity with Roman history. For example, Robert Harris’s historical fiction trilogy about the life of Cicero (beginning with the novel “Imperium”) will give the reader some acquaintance with Cicero, Caesar, Lucullus, Pompey, Crassus, the Catilinarian conspiracy, the “cursus honorum” and other aspects of Ancient Roman history. The one disappointment for me was that “SPQR” seemed to end a bit too soon. I would have liked to read about the crisis of the third century, Diocletian, Constantine and the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, but those topics are deliberately omitted.

44 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

M. C. Whiting

An insightful read but not what it says on the tin!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2020

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Mary Beard is up there in terms of current day classicists and her expertise on Ancient Rome makes her the perfect candidate to take on the role of producing a history of Rome for our time.

There is no doubt reading this that Beard really does live and breathe her subject matter and speaks to you as though she was there having conversations with these people. The book is often anecdotal, relatable and humorous. Making history relevant always has been Beard’s underlying quest to determine why history is still so important and how we can relate the past to the present and this book is no exception.

So why 3 stars? The stars awarded are a credit to Beard’s breadth of knowledge. Those parts of the book where you are gripped and the pleasure of being party to her enormous wealth of knowledge on a subject I love.

However, if I were to review this book on the basis of whether it sets out its objectives and satisfies the reader I’m not so sure. One thing that jumps out at you reading this book is that whether or not it is excellently researched or entertaining, it is NOT “a history of Ancient Rome” in terms of what many readers would expect.

For anyone who has a mild interest in Rome or has very little experience with it I would steer well clear of this book. Whilst Mary’s writing style is accessible, much of the content of this book is not for those who don’t have a working knowledge of Ancient Rome beforehand. Several names are peppered throughout sometimes expecting you to know who they are, events happening are taken for granted and more importantly so much is missing. In fact the book seems very deliberate in teaching you considerable amounts about the people and places you don’t normally hear about and glazing over the famous bits. Not only this but her consistent lack of committing to an answer (the ultimate “we just don’t know” attitude to ancient history) is far too frequent for me and begs the reader to infer why they are even reading this if the author isn’t invested in any of the sources she is working with.

If you write a history of Rome you either have a very long book (certainly longer than 537 pages) with considerable detail or you have a smaller book which covers the history briefly but without the detail.

Beard appears to do neither. Based on the length of this book it would be long enough to cover the first millennium of the Roman Empire (as it does) in relatively broad strokes. However, Beard appears to go into specific events or themes in microscopic and anecdotal levels of detail whilst glazing over pretty significant people and events. She adopts the strategy of going into detail (good) but only picks certain bits.

Take the emperors for example. The chapter on Augustus is superb and arguably the highlight of the book for me. Yet the chapter before it barely gets under the surface of Caesar (probably assuming we’ve heard all this before) and the chapter after runs through the following emperors up to commodus (lots of emperors) so quickly and doesn’t even cover some of them barely at all. Just taking the first few, Caligula is given a lot of coverage but Claudius gets next to nothing. Almost nothing said of the Flavian dynasty, Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius etc in fact I’m not even sure Antoninus Pius is mentioned once.

It’s almost as though Beard has an agenda with this book. Essentially this book is about Mary Beard using her accessible and anecdotal writing style to explain how the Roman people (not just the important ones either) evolved and changed over 1,000 years socially and politically in terms of how an empire should be run and how it’s citizens should behave. The emphasis is clearly on social and political change. It’s no mistake that almost the first 40% of the book is entirely a political and social commentary on the rise and fall of the republic.

There are so many points in this book where I think “what am I reading?” And “I can’t follow this at all”. It’s like listening to a teacher who cannot resist but go off at a tangent. There’s nothing wrong with a tangential and anecdotal style but when you’re selling it as a “history of Ancient Rome” it’s easy to feel short changed. It’s like going shopping to buy one item and coming out with 20 different items minus the one you went in for. A lot of the time reading this book you feel like you are not learning history but you are just getting Beard’s opinions, anecdotal jokes or showing off her Latin. In this sense it may be a socio-political commentary on the first millennium in Rome but “a history of Ancient Rome” it isn’t I’m afraid.

Still worth a read and very insightful for anyone with some existing knowledge (if you are starting out please buy something else for now). For anyone wanting to know more about Augustus’ influence the chapter on him is superb. The final chapter on life in the provinces is also fascinating as this is rarely debated in other similar books. The first half of the book is very dull though and feels like it takes a long time ambling its way through Beard’s quasi-fetish of Cicero which dominates so much of the first half of the book.

I think if Mary Beard had sub-titled this book with the idea that it was socio-political commentary on the first millennium in Rome centred around Roman citizenship then it would be a 5 star book. Sadly what we have is a book that is interesting and insightful and written with superb expertise but ultimately isn’t what it says it is on the cover which makes it, at times, come across as a rambling and anecdotal mess with little thread or coherent chronology of history being communicated.

39 people found this helpful

Mogandazra

Not just a cracking story, but an exercise in thinking.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2017

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An excellent book that I galloped through enthusiastically.

Mary Beard takes as her starting point the Roman history that we all think we know from school, Shakespeare and Hollywood, then opens this up into a far more detailed, more subtle, more questioning look at these ‘iconic’ people, places and moments.

She begins with one such iconic moment: Cicero defeating Catiline’s ‘conspiracy’ in 63 BCE. She then opens up the screen to give us a clear and fascinating panorama of Rome at this period of the Republic, before moving back to the city’s mythical founders, Romulus and Remus and Aeneas, then tracking forwards again in time to show us how Rome arrived at that moment of Cicero’s pivotal triumph. From here she leads us forwards once more, via the assassination of Julius Caesar, through the days of the ‘great’ emperors (including the ones we know best from film and TV: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero.) The book ends in 212 CE when the emperor Caracalla made every single free inhabitant of the Empire a full Roman citizen.

Through this framework of a fast-paced, essentially ripping yarn, what works best for me is Ms Beard’s probing, questioning approach. Just how right was Cicero? Just what evidence is there that Caligula made his horse a consul? What about the lives of the 'forgotten' people like slaves and women? These questions give us many new things to think about, not only with regard to Rome, but also to our own times. Although the author never belabours parallels with the C21st, they bubble up naturally in the reader’s mind. We also gain thought-provoking insights into the way history and historians work, whether creating myths or debunking them.

Mary Beard's writing is immaculate, highly readable and engaging and salted with touches of often subversive wit.

55 people found this helpful

A. J. Wheeldon

Magnificent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 30, 2018

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This book is a truly immense reflection of deep scholarship. I have read many histories of ancient Rome, most of them narrative, written from a point of view of considerable certainty. This wonderful book reveals the fragility of our knowledge and understanding of the period in question. It offers many speculations based on credible analysis of the information we have but makes it clear that the historian is putting forward the most likely interpretation (in her opinion) of the available evidence. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to readers interested in the history of Rome before the 3rd Century CE, and especially to budding young historians who want to learn how to evaluate evidence. Thank you, Mary Beard, for a wonderful book which has given me great joy to read.

36 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Analysis not history

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 4, 2019

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This book is more of a critical analysis of Rome's history than history itself. Mary does not describe events but rather analyses them to extract their meaning. She is very sceptical of historical accounts and at time she seems to even question if Rome was as great as it is remembered. This is good but it can get confusing for someone who knows little about Roman history. She often jumps around the timeline and sometimes goes in circles without any clarity mentioning 2 or 3 unrelated events in the space of one page.

Personally I was looking for a book that would take me through the different chapters of Roman history and describe the events, battles and give detail of political and social systems.

24 people found this helpful

Grr (tiger)

How the Romans acquired an empire and how they ruled it.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 1, 2016

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Mary Beard is Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge but this book is far from being a dry academic thesis. Neither is it a comprehensive narrative chronicle of the Roman Empire but rather Beard’s own account and speculations of the events and characters for the first 1,000 years of its existence. And of the experiences of its plebs and patricians and the way they lived.

She is a rational sceptic who has probably researched the period as well as anyone. If it is not possible to know what has actually happened, she says so and doesn’t make it up. And that almost certainly gives a truer insight into what life was like at the time. Well worth reading

31 people found this helpful