FROM ARMAGEDDON TO THE FALL OF ROME: How the Myth Makers Changed the World
Written by Erik Durschmied
Now THIS is much better…with the caveat that once it delves into the intricacies of battle, it’s very easy to get lost in tactics and descriptions of charging, hacking, slashing & pillaging.
The key to the success of this book is that it isn’t afraid of making conclusions from the actions of ancient warlords…ones that we tend to shy away from when examining antiquity. This book isn’t concerned with preconceptions…it’s all about the grim reality of the ancient world, and what the most successful leaders and generals needed to do in order to survive and prosper. A time when life was considered cheap for many, when casualties and collateral damage were far more brutal than in today’s conflict between nations. In short, this is REAL antiquity. Blood, guts, stab wounds, and all the side traumas. A morality long gone, but one that must be accepted for what it was at the time.
It forces the reader to reassess various situations and characters they might have thought familar. Are the battles described here the key turning points they are made out to be? Do the conclusions regarding the great generals and leaders hold water to this day? Was their brutal impact important to the progress of antiquity? It’s a series of analytical snap shots, conducted with efficiency, depth and brevity, but never so short & generalized that it feels too short or too threadbare. No analysis is unworthy of the subject matter, and it’s almost surprising that this book - FAR shorter than Children of the Revolution - covers five times the history, with about ten times greater a satisfaction level.
Not much else to say here. From Armageddon to the Fall of Rome is a revelation: a gorgeous exercise in how to be concise yet informative, academic yet entertaining. Children of the Revolution can only wish it was on the same level of quality and direct analysis.
Lust, power, violence, and death. The fruits of antiquity, built on a foundation of blood. History unvarnished…how refreshing.
