Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: Vols 4-6: Volumes 4,5,6 The Eastern Empire (Everyman's Library CLASSICS)

These everyman hardbacks are very good value and, if treated well, will last for many years. Quite frankly, the quality is simply excellent, and to me they are treasured possessions. As for the the content, well it is an extremely difficult read. Like many books written centuries ago, I think they not only used grammar differently from us, but also thought differently. It seems to some extent one has to adopt the mindset of the author/times. The author also seems to assume that the reader has a very wide knowledge, referring in a matter-of-fact manner to individuals, whom, I suspect, he assumes we are already familiar with. I suppose I show my ignorance, but this is part of learning. Will I learn to love it? I don`t know, but I will persevere, and perhaps become more educated in the process.

Having previously listened to the abridged version as an audiobook, I decided to take the plunge and buy the series as a gift for a history buff.This is a beautifully bound version of one of the best-known guides to the growth of Western Civilisation. It’s a heavy set of books so the electronic version is easiest to manage but this is great as a present for the bookshelves.

I once read some excerpts from this classic of the english literature, being retired and withe (a little more!) time on my hands I decided to read the complete work.It is a very interesting read, not only as regards the roman empire but to have a larger reflection on politics and humanity.

These books were bought as a present for my partner. He is very pleased with the condition of the books and is enjoying reading them. They were just what he wanted and is happily onto book 5.

Excellent product, brilliantly written.

good read

Excellent set of books.This is something everyone should have on their reference shelf.

After more than a year, I finally managed to read the final 3 volumes of the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. This is one of the few books that have really changed my views not just on the Roman Empire, but on human nature and everything really. It is such a convincing argument regarding how transient and delicate every human entreprise really is. I could not find any other book that was so useful to me to understand what is going on on today's world. We are also in the middle of a great transformation which might turn out for the worse regarding everything from the economy to the environment, and the cautionary tale of how the alliance of religious zeal and increased tyranny did the Romans weaker to withstand the push of the barbarians is fully aplicable to today. I enjoyed the rhythm of the prose, the wonderful descriptions of the sieges and battles, the unforgettable characters like Julian, Hypatia, Constantine, Athanasius, Teodoric, Belisarius, Mohamed, John II, Constantine XI, Bajacet or Cola di Rienzi, just to name a few. This is very serious reading but it is far more enjoyable and easier than I thought taking into account what I have read about this book before starting it.The last thing that i can say is: more than 4000 pages and I would have enjoyed more.

Beautiful set. Books and box look great. Some books are just so important to the making of modern thought that sometimes you just want to have them like a trophy. I will certainly read the whole 6 volumes at some point, but it’s already a beautiful trophy in my bookshelf.

Gibbon è uno dei più celebrati storici inglesi e questo libro è forse l'opera più famosa di sempre per quanto riguarda l'impero romano. Ho scelto di leggerlo in lingua originale (ma è disponibile anche in italiano). Temevo che, essendo stato scritto nel 700, fosse arduo da capire ma, sorprendentemente, non ho trovato molte differenze rispetto all'inglese di oggi: è' forse più arduo capire un testo italiano del settecento! Non è un libro divulgativo, ma è scritto in uno stile abbastanza scorrevole e piacevole, tipico degli storici inglesi (mi ricordo che Indro Montanelli li elogiava per questo) . Alcune parti possono risultare noiose (c'è un intero capitolo dedicato al sistema di tassazione dell'impero romano), ma nel complesso è godibile anche da chi, come me, è un semplice appassionato di storia, soprattutto antica e medioevale.

Maravilloso

Un cadeau (sur demande) pour notre fils étudiant en histoire. Très beau coffret, arrivé dans un excellent état pour de l'import. tous lus!

The Decline and Fall is as compelling a read as the Bible. And the events unfold as fables of a Roman Empire that was unprecedented in its glory and dominance. The prose is brilliant and unmatched by any history book till date. The tenor of the narrative rivals Shakespeare's flowery and expressive and dramatic prose.