Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.Download Description
My indiscriminate appetite subsided by degrees in the historic line: and since philosophy has exploded all innate ideas and natural propensities, I must ascribe this choice to the assiduous perusal of the Universal History, as the octavo volumes successively appeared. This unequal work, and a treatise of Hearne, the Ductor historicus, referred and introduced me to the Greek and Roman historians, to as many at least as were accessible to an English reader. All that I could find were greedily devoured, from Littlebury's lame Herodotus, and Spelman's valuable Xenophon, to the pompous folios of Gordon's Tacitus, and a ragged Procopius of the beginning of the last century. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
A 370 page biography to mark the subject's bicentenary. Nine black and white plates. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I concur with the review of "a reader"
The review, "Gibbon's fragments fashioned into a fascinating whole", written on May 18, 1998, was the basis upon which I purchased this book, and experience proved it entirely accurate and deserving of the many Helpful votes.

In my review of Betty Radice's edition of Gibbon's Memoirs, I will begin with the negatives, which as you might guess from my five star rating, are minor and failed to distract from my enjoyment and education. However, take into account I am unacquainted with other editions or publishers, and chose this one solely based on what I read on Amazon. There may be better editions available; mainly I am reacting to Gibbon rather than this particular version.

Based upon fragments pieced together, his Memoirs have several instances where the same paragraph or sentence, mildly altered, is repeated a few pages forward. This is an annoying and unnecessary defect, but our editor shrinks from presuming to edit Gibbon, though I would say, in this case, courage might not have set the Master turning in his grave, and would spare readers needless confusion.

The very necessary (due to Gibbon's frequent obscure references) Notes which are not authored by Gibbon are unwisely located at the very end of the book, rather than at the bottom of the page where they occur. This necessitates flipping back and forth.

The Publisher, Penguin, used a small font which punishes the eyes, in order to spare the cost of an extra fifty pages or so. It is a sad commentary they held this important work in such apparent contempt, but probably it was not destined to sell many copies, with its lack of the requisite sex and violence.

With its depiction of a human being strangely specialized to be a pure intellect that, by deliberate choice, spends an entire lifetime working with thoughts and ideas, this book may fail to appeal to all readers, but anyone who loves, as I do, Gibbon's masterpiece, "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," must be burning with curiosity about the author, which often happens when one finds a writer one really likes. Personally, I found the Memoirs fascinating and read every page with eagerness.

The author reveals his pecadillos: vanity, a disdain for physical exercise, intellectual elitism, and a disdain for representative government. But we also appreciate his virtues: courage, diligence, duty, intellectual honesty, loyalty, and not least of all, genius. If you paid over fifty dollars for the Decline and Fall, as I did, and really plan to read it over the course of a year or so, then why not lay out a few extra dollars for the Memoirs?

Gibbon's fragments fashioned into a fascinating whole.
Edward Gibbon left only six incomplete manuscripts detailing his life and efforts at the time of his death.The editor, B. Radice, surpassing all previous efforts has edited them into a concise, remarkably fluid narrative. She has wisely included the various self-criticisms that his first editor, John Holroyd, left out of the first 1796 edition of the Memoirs and they reveal Gibbon to be not merely a formidable intellect and perspicacious observer of both English and Swiss society but also witty, a bit vain, self-indulgent, and more approachable than his reputation would suggest.Occasionnaly the odd sentence or fragment is repeated to ill effect and the fragmentary nature of this work provides its own frustrations: Gibbon will start discussing an intriguing subject such as the writing of the Decline and Fall and then suddenly shift to another subject.And even though Gibbon avoids the embarassing candor which crops up in Rousseau, one could argue that even in its unfinished form, there's a bit too much polish on the surface- Gibbon obviously sees his life as something of a finished product and the self-reflection of the earlier part becomes a bit too self-congratulatory later on.Moroever, the editors have provided two sets of footnotes for the seventh and eighth chapters - theirs and Gibbon's, which makes for a lot of back and forth reading.Still, Gibbon's account of the difficulties in finding time to read, to research, and to cultivate his intellect in the face of outside engagements, as well as his lucid observations on his family life, his friendships and his decision not to marry make for compelling reading.Rarely has such a figure provided so thorough an account of his life in so little space.For anyone who wants a clearly written and forthright account of why Gibbon came to be the man he was would surely profit from a persual of this engaging little work. ... Read more

Book Description
To understand Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire properly it is necessary to have knowledge of his historiographical and philosophical context. Gibbon is considered here not just for what he reveals of eighteenth-century intellectual attitudes, but for his forceful interpretation of the period. Leading experts in the field about which Gibbon himself wrote enter into dialogue with historians of the eighteenth century. New light is thereby thrown not only on Gibbon's text, but also on the degree to which he can be regarded as a trustworthy guide to late antiquity and the Middle Ages in the late twentieth century. ... Read more

Book Description
Gibbon was unabashed in acknowledging that his career as an historian was fuelled by a desire for fame, and the success of The Decline and Fall indeed furnished him with 'a name, a rank, a character, in the World' to which he would not otherwise have been entitled. Eventually this public reputation was pleasing to him, and nourished his innocent vanity. Initially, however, it was a reputation he resented, and was determined to resist. In particular, the denunciation by the spokesmen for religious orthodoxy of Gibbon's treatment of Christianity was (so Gibbon contended) a vicious misrepresentation.The subject of this book is the story of the conflict between Gibbon and those he mockingly dubbed the 'Watchmen of the Holy City', and it explores the ramifications of an elusive aspect of authorship. By considering the sequence of interactions between the historian and his readership, Womersley makes possible a more intimate understanding of what might be called Gibbon's experience of himself. At the same time he deepens our knowledge of the conditions of English authorship during the later decades of the eighteenth and the early decades of the nineteenth centuries, from the opening of the war with the American colonies, down to the successful conclusion of the wars with revolutionary and Napoleonic France. ... Read more

Book Description
In the greatest work of history in the English language, Edward Gibbon compresses thirteen turbulent centuries into a gripping epic narrative. It is history in the grand eighteenth-century manner, a well-researched drama charged with insight, irony, and incisive character analysis. In elegant prose, Gibbon presents both the broad pattern of events and the significant revealing detail. He delves into religion, politics, sexuality, and social mores with equal authority and aplomb. While subsequent research revealed minor factual errors about the early Empire, Gibbon's bold vision, witty descriptions of a vast cast of characters, and readiness to display his own beliefs and prejudices result in an astonishing work of history and literature, at once powerfully intelligent and enormously entertaining.

Based on David Womersley's definitive three-volume Penguin Classics edition of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, this abridgement contains complete chapters from all three volumes, linked by extended bridging passages, vividly capture the style, the argument, and the architecture of the whole work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Hard to Read
Not what I was expecting. Very hard to read as it was written back in the dark ages and the english used is tough.

Understand that any civilization may fail.
Gibbon is one of the first historians of the Enlightenment.He does not have a favorable opinion of Christianity or the times he lived.This bias does not detract from this book.Nor is this book an effective argument against Christianity.His thesis is Christianity helped bring down Rome.The Christian mindset made it impossible to defend their empire in a way similar to how they made their empire.If you lose your basic traditions your empire will crumble.An excellent book, a must read.

MISUNDERSTANDING OF BYZANTIUM
Historians agree today that this book is responsible for the modern misunderstanding of Byzantium. Think of only what the labeling "Byzantine" means today. If you want to know more about Byzantium start with one of the books on the empire by Sir Steven Runciman.

Considered the most scholarly collection of Gibbon's work
I do not recommend buying an edition of "The Decline and Fall" based upon price alone, because for many reasons, which will become clearer to you after reading this complicated and scholarly work, the editions vary in content and price, nor does price alone guarantee quality.

For many hours prior to purchasing, I researched the numerous editions offered by different publishers and read reviews, and discovered a consensus among Gibbon fans in favor of Womersley's unabridged edition, in part because it includes a complete and unmodernized text, Gibbon's own comments and notes, and his famous Vindication, a final and thorough answer to scurrilous critics of his time. All of this is provided at a quite reasonable price, considering the length of the work (in excess of 1,300 pages), albeit in soft cover which I find makes a book easier to read, if slightly less durable.

I recommend buying this new edition from Amazon, instead of the used editions also offered here, because many of them, I discovered after investigating, are not the same as this one I am reviewing (ISBN 0-14-043393-7, which is Volume I). Like I said, there are many editions of Gibbon's masterpiece floating about, old and new, of varying quality and content. The vendors' failure to disclose the ISBN in their descriptions prohibits any purchase by the discriminating. Just pay the seventeen or so bucks for the new book, which is dirt cheap for a work of this magnitude.

There should be no need to defend Gibbon nor his work, which is simply the best I have yet read. I loved history as a boy, even while reading the simple and often stupid books offered in school. Imagine how much more I enjoyed history written by such a master of prose as Gibbon, the most thorough, meticulous and honest historian I have yet encountered.

We owe a debt of gratitude to a historian who has perused enormous quantities of ancient texts in Latin and Greek and other languages, such as would confound the vast majority of readers today, and with his formidable powers of intellect, analyzed their veracity, by comparing one against the other, and judged keenly of their worth. Gibbon had for his time a vast encyclopedic knowledge, for by his own admission, he devoted his life to reading. Gibbon's love was not among humans, but among books. He possessed an excellent understanding of government, which is the more understandable when you discover he served as a Member of Parliament for a number of years. His grasp of military science is explained in part by his service in the militia as an officer. To all these things, we must add an innate, profound understanding of human nature.

Why bother with Gibbon? Why not read the original, the ancient and medieval writers, from whom Gibbon based his work? That is a good question that I asked myself. Here is the answer. We cannot trust the ancient writers to be truthful or accurate in every event. For one thing, they sometimes contradict each other, which means one or both are lying. Also, they leave out important details, which can be pieced together by circumstantial evidence, if you have found it by exhaustive research.

This is where Gibbon comes in. He has performed exhaustive research that consumed a large portion of his scholarly and reflective lifetime. Gibbon is no fool, and never succumbs to the usual vices of enthusiasm or its opposite, cynicism. He is calm, rational, penetrative; just the guide and the mentor you want. He never takes an ancient historian at face value without considering their motives, prejudices, passions, and even their personal histories. Gibbon has studied not just the history, but the historians, and the history of the historian's countries. Not only has Gibbon accumulated and summarized the ancient and medieval texts, but interpreted and analyzed with his considerable deductive powers, to form a whole that is greater than the parts. Thus a novice does better with Gibbon than with the original. Gibbon's copious notes explain where has made interpretations, leaving you free to form different conclusions, should you desire.

Some reviewers are peeved that Gibbon suffers an opinion that disagrees with their own, and for this reason alone, they degrade his work. I experience the same treatment by those who are alarmed that my reviews have an actual opinion instead of being a rubber stamp marked "PERFECTION". If this intolerant philosophy were carried on, then no-one should dare express an unseasonable opinion of anything at all, and we should all become a tribe of dullards. Of course Gibbon expresses many opinions, some the inevitable product of his country, class and times; and this is the mark of intellectual honesty. You should never read without a critical mind, and should be prepared to disagree with an author on some issues, as I do with Gibbon, while agreeing with him on others. I especially favor his ideas concerning the causes and effects of the rise of Christianity, many of which can be observed today.

Look to find a better history than this, in any language, written during any time since the advent of letters. Look far and wide, as long as you like... and then revisit Gibbon, and see whether you have yet found an equal.

Overrated
I enjoyed this book, but some of the praise for it ("the best history book ever written in the English language!!") is over the top. It is no coincidence that intellectuals have embraced this history of the Roman empire above all others - the author is openly skeptical of Christianity and sympathetic to barbarians.

Gibbon's writing skills are also overrated in my opinion. Using 20 words to express a point that could be expressed in 10 words is, in my book, bad writing. For example, instead of writing "XYZ is true", Gibbon will write "It would not be incorrect for an observer to note that XYZ is true". This gets exhausting after a few hundred pages. He also overuses certain words, such as 'insensibly'. ... Read more

Amazon.com
British parliamentarian and soldier Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) conceived of his plan forDecline and Fall while "musing amid the ruins of the Capitol" on a visit to Rome. Forthe next 10 years he worked away at his great history, which traces the decadence of the late empire fromthe time of the Antonines and the rise of Western Christianity. "The confusion of the times, and thescarcity of authentic memorials, pose equal difficulties to the historian, who attempts to preserve a clearand unbroken thread of narration," he writes. Despite these obstacles, Decline and Fallremains a model of historical exposition, and required reading for students of European history.Book Description
(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

Volumes 1, 2, and 3 of the Bury Text, in a boxed set. Introduction by Hugh Trevor-RoperDownload Description
"It was Rome, on the 15th of October 1764, as I sat musing amid the ruins of the Capitol, while the barefooted friars were singing vespers in the temple of Jupiter, that the idea of writing the decline and fall of the city first started to my mind," recorded Edward Gibbon with characteristic exactitude. Over a period of some twenty years, the luminous eighteenth-century historian--a precise, dapper, idiosyncratic little gentleman famous for rapping his snuff-box--devoted his considerable genius to writing an epic chronicle of the entire Roman Empire's decline. His single flash of inspiration produced what is arguably the greatest historical work in any language--and surely the most magnificent narrative history ever written in English. "Gibbon is one of those few who hold as high a place in the history of literature as in the roll of great historians," noted Professor J.B. Bury, his most celebrated editor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (61)

the decline and fall of the roman empire
very good detail on the history , most Caesars were killed and the army rulled.

Lots of Info
Tremendous amount of information and lots of historical data. Problem is the guy who wrote the book can speak the real english language and I often thought I was listning to a foreign language tape. I learned a lot and woud recomend this to anyone who wonders how something as great as the empire was, fell apart. Great learning experience.

Gibbon's Magnum Opus
It's a literary work of art. Gibbon's style of narration is breathtaking. On every page he comes out as the true scholar that he really is. His choice of words and his style of sentence construction is consummate on every level.

Other than that, the whole account is Gibbon's perspective of the Roman Empire on a strict level. While most will concur with him on the insanity of the likes of say, Caligula, Nero; or the politically cunning inclinations of Augustus, his treatment of Christianity is open to debate. Gibbon places Christianity at the top in his list of the factors that could possibly have accelerated the empire towards decadence and its ultimate disintegration. Though this can be true on some accounts, he offers no clear explanation on how the Eastern empire could have carried on for more centuries with the religion at its very centre. It's an unwritten edict that the Byzantines were more passionate about Jesus than Western christendom.

Also, in some pages, Gibbon argues that the Roman emperors, say Marcus Aurelius for example, never really would have had an inclination towards persecuting christians on grounds of political gains. For Gibbon argues that the political elite of Rome were well aware of the fact that some kind of religion maintained social order. But his arguments are at considerable, if not complete, loggerheads with the several accounts from other historians that Rome continued to persecute Christianity until Constantine.

Persecution of Christianity might necessarily not have completely been primary disdain for the christian concept which totally conflicts with the Roman edicts of deifying dead emperors. Christianity came in handy for rogue emperors to have this sect of minorities scapegoated for their own excesses (remember Nero's fire?) or to appease the minds of a disgruntled majority which preferred to suspect them.

Finally, his stand that the "whole" empire prospered and preferred Roman rule in the age of the five good emperors is open to debate. Pax Romana might have worked for the Italian mainland at best, but not necessarily in provinces even as close as, say, Gaul.

Gibbons Decline and fall of Rome
This is the definitive History of the Empire from the first emperor (Agustus or Octavian, if you wish). However given the time and hence style of English, it was written in it is not for the faint hearted. Stick with it though and it is a very rewarding reference book which you will have for life.

One thing I fail to understand is what Amazon sells Vols 1-3 and 4-6 as seperate items. By the lot in one go otherwise it's a bit like owning the old testement bible and not having set eyes on the New Testement.!!

Dramatic and Informative audio book version
Philip Madoc convincingly relates Gibbon's great insights into the history and significance of the final centuries of the Roman Empire in this 6 CD set. Abridged by neccesity, nevertheless Neville Jason comments between Gibbon's passage recited by Philip Madoc, and fills the gaps with a coherent narration. The whole production flows smoothly anddramatically, quite easy to follow. This is one of the most worthwhile audio book puchases I've ever made. ... Read more

Book Description
(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

Volumes 1, 2, and 3 of the Bury Text, in a boxed set. Introduction by Hugh Trevor-Roper


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A Standard, Like it or not
Gibbon must be taken in the context of his time - his writing style, his prejudices, and his occasional lapse into sermonizing. His style is to say in 30-words what others would say in less than 10. His prejudices are many but one that seems to permeate most is the over-emphasis on the western empire at the expense of the east. It is as if the eastern empire did not survive another millennia after the fall of the west.But given difficult reading and language constructs and the slanted views, a greater work on the subject of the western empire probably does not exist. It is an essential though somewhat distasteful standard for anyone interested in Roman history.As yet, there is nothing comparable in scope for the western empire.For abalanced and more readable coverage of the east, I would highly recommend supplementing with the works of John Julius Norwich such as the three part history beginning with Byzantium: The Early Centuries.In addition, it would be good to supplement your study with Caesar and Christ: A History of Roman Civilization and of Christianity from Their Beginnings to A.D. 325 (Story of Civilization, No 3).

a necessary evil for self-education, I guess
There are three things to know about this book.It was written at about the same time America's Founding Fathers were writing the Constitution.Gibbon uses the EXTREMELY flowerly, convoluted, difficult prose of the time.Use the "look inside" feature, if you can.This is DIFFICULT reading.So, someone trying to learn about history might despair that it's hard to actually swallow the concepts because of the diffucult language.

Second, this book is really long.This is abridged.Yeah.So what.There are almost NO paragraph markers, the type is small (8 point or so, I guess), and it's about...what, 1200 pages?This is the War and Peace of history books.

Third, I'm still reading the damn thing.Every historian who EVER discussed Rome started with Gibbon.His is the most important work in the field.It is THE standard.No matter what history book you are reading about Rome from, say, 100 A.D. onward, the author will INVARIABLY use a phrase like, "Gibbon says BLAHBLAHBLAH."Like you're supposed to know who Gibbon is.Like you're supposed to have read the book.Well, I just didn't want to be the ONLY one who hadn't read the thing, since I'm studying history, trying to educate myself.It's a slog, but I think it's a necessary one.I'll be glad when it's over, and I'll be glad to say I've read it.

The English Language Doesn't Get Much Better
Gibbon was a master of the English language. He wanted to write something great, and he achieved it. No serious student of history should miss reading this masterpiece.

Understand what it is BEFORE you start
If you don't know about Edward Gibbon or this work then you really need to check out the "Look inside this book" feature that Amazon offers.Make sure you read the first couple of pages of the book.The reason I say this is that this book is not your typical history.The language is extremely tedious.I know some will say it is elegant, grand, whatever other adjective they can come up with.I just see it as making the subject much more difficult to comprehend.You will find yourself reading and re-reading and re-reading sections in order to pull out what this man is trying to say.

Now, having slammed the writing, I will say that there are some good stories in here. Gibbon is definitely opinionated.He doesn't shy away from injecting his opinion on just about every occurance in the history.Not that there's anything wrong with this approach.Just know what you're getting.

Finally, as you will deduce from looking inside at the index, this history leaves out the first few hundred years of Rome's history (it is, after all, about the DECLINE AND FALL of Rome...and that didn't start until around 300 C.E.).This is important because, if you are hoping to read about the murder of Caesar and some of those stories....it isn't in here.Again, look inside the book and study what you see very carefully before you purchase.

Problematic abridgement to remarkable book
This essential read's only drawback is the introduction and perhaps the aim of the abridgement.Gibbon wrote his masterpiece in the 18th century at the time of the American revolution.Clearly influenced by the ideals of the time, by the experiment of mass democracy in republican form, not tried since Rome and by new ideas of economics set out by Adam Smith as well as the ideals of the enlightenment, Gibbon penned his classic volumes on the fall of the Roman Empire.Previous abridgements focused on the destruction of the western empire, this one follows the volumes through to the rise of the Church and the fall of the eastern empire.Amazing sketches are given not only of the barbarian tribes of Europe but also of the Parthians, Ehtiopians, the old churches of Nestorians, diophysites and Monophsysites the Copts and of course the religion of Islam.What is most fascinating here is the level of enlightenment of the author and exposes the lies that many in the west were taught, namely that t he west is intolerant and racist.In fact Gibbon shows us through his beautiful language that perhaps not only were people more intelligent and insightful in 1776 but in his treatise on the rise of Islam and the life of Mohommed we get perhaps a moreinsightful and tolerant but critical view then most will get today in an entire program of Islamic studies.This illuminates two lies, first the lie that the west was narrow minded and self centered and ignorant until just recently when we embraced `diversity' and secondly that the modern view of Islam is not only not revolutionary, but that it is not modern.Gibbon was perhaps more modern, more intelligent, and more dynamic with his sense of whit and reality then most scholars today, and certainly then most `accepted knowledge'Much can be learned from this masterpiece, not only insights into church-state relations, taxation and warfare, but also the question of tyranny and the question of fanaticism, as well as how best a society can defend itself from enemies both outside and inside.

The message of the forward to this abridgement is deeply flawed.HANS-FRIEDRICH MUELLER, who did the abridgement remarks that many `born again' Americans will find the book `offensive' because the author questions the role of organized religion and faith.This is patently untrue and shows the ignorance of the European abridger in his self centered and arrogant interpretation of the world.We see that the same forward directs us to understand the message that Gibbon brings, the bigotry and incessant war and `empire' and apparently the power of the elite lead to the destruction of Rome.Be warned this was not the message of Gibbon.Rome guarded itself against barbarian invasions for more than a thousand years.In its corruption it died, in the laziness and arrogance of its people it died.In not having its own soldiers at the frontiers it died.Gibbons message has nothing to do with America or with the American system, it has everything to do with why Europe has collapsed and is disappearing.

Seth J. Frantzman
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Gibbon
After reading Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, what a delight to read about Gibbon in a mere 111 pages (harmonious with Gibbons under five foot stature). A short treatment about such a large subject as Gibbon and his work could have been a problem, but Burrow pulls it off.After an opening mini biography of Gibbons life, the remainder of the book is an overview of 'Decline and Fall': chapter titles include "Rome", "Christianity", "Barbarism" and "Civilization". The best chapter is "Civilization", it can be read as a standalone essay about Western history, it is full of fascinating ideas and insights. The last chapter "A possession in perpetuity" ties together some loose ends and has an interesting discussion on the nature of art and immortality. Any book of this nature has to rely heavily on quotes and because Gibbons writing is so powerful he can steal the show, but Burrow more than holds his own, the cadence between Burrow and Gibbon is sheer pleasure. Yet, as Burrow says:

"To present a vast historical work like the 'Decline and Fall' as I have done, chiefly in terms of its organizing concepts and the explanations it offers, is necessarily to travesty it: to reveal the bones is to make hard, angular, dry and summary what in the experience of reading is enjoyed as flexible, rich and leisurely."(p.80)

The "bones" revealed by Burrow include Gibbon's stylistic device of black/white polarities underlying his arguments: Liberty/servility, vigor/enervation, manliness/effeminacy, simplicity/luxury, fanaticism/moderation, superstition/reason, theology/morality, asceticism/nature, unsocial/social and of course barbarism/civilization. This is not to say Gibbons has reduced history into a child-like "good vs bad" view, he does show ambiguity in human action, but his style or technique is to create polarities and then play off between those positions. This is an excellent work of historiography and intellectual history, I highly recommend it for anyone who has read Gibbon to better understand his context and ideas, Burrow treats Gibbon with a great deal of sympathy and the reader comes away with an even deeper appreciation and passion for the man and his work.

A masterful introduction to the life and work
This is one of the finest volumes in the ' Past Masters' series. Burrow tells Gibbon's story and outlines the major themes of 'The Decline and Fall' with concision and clarity .He sets Gibbon in the context of his time and shows how his Augustan eighteen century values effect his judgment of the second- century Roman height of development, and the decline from it. Gibbon sees the decline and fall as a movement away from Roman independence, hardiness, military self- sufficiency and virtue to social indolence brought by prolonged prosperity and luxury. The measured and balanced tolerant religions of paganism are weakened and defeated by the enthusiastic superstition of Christianity. The civilized West is overrun by those of the barbaric East. Burrow does a wonderful job presenting Gibbon's biography, the background and preparation leading up to the writing of his great masterpiece. He shows too how Gibbon's great style however it aligns itself in support of Roman social virtue contains a subtlety and elaborative greatness that enables it to capture the positive qualities of Rome's barbarian opponents. Burrow shows how Gibbon's masterful style of antithesis and balance, work to give his account a kind of aesthetic and moral subtlety and ambiguity.
This is a very good introduction to one of the greatest of all classics of historical writing. ... Read more