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The Fate of Rome

Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire
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( 1,887 ratings, 287 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Fate of Rome by Kyle Harper explores how environmental factors and disease influenced the fall of the Roman Empire. Harper weaves together evidence from climate science, archaeology, and history to provide a compelling narrative that challenges traditional views and highlights the empire's vulnerabilities to natural forces. This work provides an innovative perspective on one of history's most significant events.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$5499

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you have an interest in ancient history and are curious about the powerful environmental and biological forces that contributed to the decline of the Roman Empire. The author provides a compelling narrative combining climate science and epidemiology, depicting how these factors shaped historical events. Ideal for those fascinated by the interplay between human civilizations and nature.

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How devastating viruses, pandemics, and other natural catastrophes swept through the far-flung Roman Empire and helped to bring down one of the mightiest civilizations of the ancient worldHere is the monumental retelling of one of the most consequential chapters of human history: the fall of the Roman Empire. The Fate of Rome is the first book

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

How devastating viruses, pandemics, and other natural catastrophes swept through the far-flung Roman Empire and helped to bring down one of the mightiest civilisations of the ancient world. Here is the monumental retelling of one of the most consequential chapters of human history: the fall of the Roman Empire. The Fate of Rome is the first book to examine the catastrophic role that climate change and infectious diseases played in the collapse of Rome's powerβ€”a story of nature's triumph over human ambition.

Interweaving a grand historical narrative with cutting-edge climate science and genetic discoveries, Kyle Harper traces how the fate of Rome was decided not just by emperors, soldiers, and barbarians but also by volcanic eruptions, solar cycles, climate instability, and devastating viruses and bacteria. The Fate of Rome is a sweeping account of how one of history's greatest civilisations encountered and endured, yet ultimately succumbed to, the cumulative burden of nature's violence.

Series: The Princeton History of the Ancient World

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  • The Fate of Rome
    How devastating viruses, pandemics, and other natural catastrophes swept through the far-flung Roman Empire and helped to bring down one of the mightiest civilisations of the ancient world. Here is the monumental retelling of one of the most consequential chapters of human history: the fall of the Roman Empire. The Fate of Rome is the first book to examine the...
    Paperback
    $5499
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Rise and Fall of Classical Greece
    Lord Byron described Greece as great, fallen, and immortal, a characterization more apt than he knew. Through most of its long history, Greece was poor. But in the classical era, Greece was densely populated and highly urbanized. Many surprisingly healthy Greeks lived in remarkably big houses and worked for high wages at specialized occupations. Middle-class spending drove sustained economic growth,...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Fate of Rome by Kyle Harper is widely acclaimed, being named among the Books of the Year 2017 by Medium.com and The Times Literary Supplement. It was also recognised as one of Forbes.com’s Great Anthropology and History Books of 2017 and received an Honorable Mention for the 2018 PROSE Award in Classics. The book was listed as one of the best in its category by Strategy + Business and recognised by Choice Reviews as an Outstanding Academic Title of 2018.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780691192062

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 April 2019

Country: United States

Imprint: Princeton University Press

Illustration: 47 b/w illus. 16 tables. 26 maps.

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 133.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 440

About the Author

Kyle Harper is professor of classics and letters at the University of Oklahoma. His books include Slavery in the Late Roman World, AD 275425.

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