★ 09/24/2018
Filmmaker and journalist Addis breathes new life into nearly 3,000 years of tumultuous Roman history, citing the elusive nature of Rome’s historical meaning as the impetus for this sweeping chronicle. Bookending his account with the myth of Romulus and the fantastical cinema of Federico Fellini, Addis delves into significant Roman moments and figures: the Second Punic War with Hannibal’s Carthage, Julius Caesar’s assassination, Constantine’s conversion to Christianity, the crowning of Charlemagne, the corrupt popes of the Theophylact and Borgia families, Petrarch, Michelangelo, Garibaldi’s wars to reunify Italy, and fascism’s rise under Mussolini. Addis’s singular accomplishment, however, is filling in the gaps between these events with novelistic passages on architecture, religious practices, poetry, and the love lives of some of Rome’s most notorious libertines. The tale of Rome’s many incarnations—republic, empire, heart of the warring Christian kingdoms of the Middle Ages, the capital of a modern unified Italy—is one of splendor and death, impressively told with passion, analytical expertise, and wit. (Nov.)
"As he moves through the centuries, Addis casts a keen eye over not just the big figures of history but also its crowds, mess, and detritus. He appreciates that the multilayered, 'palimpsestic' quality of Rome is both a cliche and a profound truth. He encourages an approach to the city’s myths that is properly skeptical but still open-mouthed."
"This book reminds us about past greatness. It is impossible not to be moved, inspired, incensed and outraged by some of the messages."
"This perfectly formed book reveals the fascinating stories behind some of the most powerful words ever spoken. Instant inspiration."
"Written with pace and panache. By juxtaposing the personal with the public, the particular with the general, almost every chapter becomes a tour de force, and the energy scarcely fades."
"Entertaining and informative, this book provides a fascinating and useful introduction to classical mythology, history, and culture."
"Addis writes clearly and effectively. Those enthralled by Rome will find this a worthy companion, if one that might prompt nostalgia for golden ages of yore."-- "Kirkus Reviews"
"Entertaining and informative, this book provides a fascinating and useful introduction to classical mythology, history, and culture."-- "The Oldie (U.K.)"
"This book reminds us about past greatness. It is impossible not to be moved, inspired, incensed and outraged by some of the messages."-- "Tribune Magazine (U.K.)"
"This perfectly formed book reveals the fascinating stories behind some of the most powerful words ever spoken. Instant inspiration."-- "The Shortlist (U.K.)"
"Written with pace and panache. By juxtaposing the personal with the public, the particular with the general, almost every chapter becomes a tour de force, and the energy scarcely fades."--Nigel Spivey, The New Criterion
"Addis breathes new life into nearly 3,000 years of tumultuous Roman history, citing the elusive nature of Rome's historical meaning as the impetus for this sweeping chronicle. The tale of Rome's many incarnations is one of splendor and death, impressively told with passion, analytical expertise, and wit."-- "Publishers Weekly (starred)"
"As he moves through the centuries, Addis casts a keen eye over not just the big figures of history but also its crowds, mess, and detritus. He appreciates that the multilayered, 'palimpsestic' quality of Rome is both a cliche and a profound truth. He encourages an approach to the city's myths that is properly skeptical but still open-mouthed."-- "The Guardian"
11/15/2018
For journalist Addis, Rome's essential quality is as a palimpsest, a site of constant erasure and rewriting. He selects the most cinematic moments from millennia of Roman history to examine the mythos of the "eternal city." What emerges are grand and troubled personalities, and history that dwells more in seedy backroom gossip than serious historiography. This is not to say the book is not serious and thought-provoking, but its result isn't intended to be a picture of events, rather our own impressions of them. Similar in scope to Robert Hughes's Rome: A Cultural, Visual, and Personal History, this work draws a narrative thread through the end of the Roman republic, empire, papal state, and fascist state, which helps to put the modern state of Italy in perspective. The tone is light overall; Addis has a keen eye for the appropriate allusion or anecdote—Rome keeps falling because humanity keeps falling—but avoids pessimism with a focus on continual rebirth. VERDICT Serious scholars may prefer a more in-depth study, but anyone interested in the history of Rome will find this volume accessible and entertaining.—Margaret Heller, Loyola Univ. Chicago Libs.
2018-09-02
Sweeping history over three millennia of the center of the ancient world.
Rome is famously known as the city of seven hills. But, writes London-based historian Addis in opening, "why stop at seven?" There are more: the Janiculum, the Pincian, Monte Mario, the Vatican, and so forth, yet the count has held at seven since time immemorial. So it is that the entire history of Rome, republic and empire and beyond, has been punctuated by set pieces and legends, some of which the author debunks, others of which he illuminates. For instance, in telling the story of the foundation of the ancient republic after the overthrow of the Etruscan kings, he nicely notes that Lucius Junius Brutus emerged victorious, having hidden behind a last name that means "stupid." "Up stepped Brutus, casting off the pretense of foolishness he had worn for so long," Addis spryly writes after setting up a bloody scene, after which Brutus swore that Rome would not see a king again. So it was for a few hundred years until the rise of the emperors, who started off strong but devolved into gangsters and tyrants, "too busy with enemies from outside Rome's borders to worry about enemies within." Consequently, Christianity, its early adherents true enemies of the Roman state, was able to take hold. Addis writes with due admiration of Cola di Rienzo, the exponent of "a well-established tradition of Italian communal government" after the revival of the Senate in 1143, who recapitulated the ancient struggle between commoner and nobility and wound up the worse in the bargain. The author takes readers to the walls of the city in the 19th century, where "patrician ladies," students, and militia alike joined to battle French invaders. The narrative sometimes runs a bit long, but Addis writes clearly and effectively, though without the flair of a Mary Beard or Luigi Barzini.
Those enthralled by Rome will find this a worthy companion, if one that might prompt nostalgia for golden ages of yore.
