THE ROMANS: AN INTRODUCTION
From the back cover
“The Romans: An Introduction, 2nd edition, is a concise, readable, and comprehensive survey of the civilization of ancient Rome. It covers more than 1,200 years of political and military history, including many of the famous, and infamous, personalities who featured in them. It also describes the religions, society, and daily life of the Romans, and their literature, art, architecture, and technology, illustrated by extracts in new translations from Latin and Greek authors of the times.
“This new edition contains extensive additional and revised material designed to enhance the value of the book to students, especially of classical or Roman civilization, Roman history, or elementary Latin, as well as to general readers and students of other disciplines for whom an understanding of the civilization and literature of Rome is desirable.
“In particular, the chapter on religions has been expanded, as have the sections on the role of women and on Roman social divisions and cultural traditions. There is more, too, on the diversity and administration of the empire at different periods, on changes in the army, and on significant figures of the middle and later imperial eras.
“New features include a glossary of Latin terms and timelines. Maps have been redrawn and new ones included along with extra illustrations, and reading lists have been revised and updated.”
From reviews of the first edition (1995)
Kamm writes with sensitivity, intelligence and vitality. He tells a good story and is remarkably un-stuffy. . . . He allows the Romans to speak for themselves whenever possible and his familiarity with English literature prompts a number of happy comparisons. . . . The gusto of the writing and the sweep of the narrative will enthuse all but the most dour reader.
Journal of the Association of Classical Teachers
A valuable work of introduction and reference that anybody would be happy to possess.
Classics Ireland
As well as selecting and summarizing, Kamm has found space for considerable incidental detail which adds much to the book’s appeal. This is no dry epitome reduced to bare bones, for he presents numerous quotations from an interestingly wide range of ancient authors and repeatedly includes the particular individual, story, or details, which convey the flavour in a way which the mere accumulation of facts and generalizations would not.
The Classical Review
From reviews of the second edition.
The Romans is an accessible introduction to the civilization of Rome, and is designed to satisfy the needs of college students in classical civilization or Roman history courses with little or no training in the subject. As such, The Romans accomplishes its goal excellently.
Salvador Bartera, University of Tennessee, in the Bryn Mawr Classical Review
The major strength of the new edition, however, remains Kamm's distinctive voice --graceful prose with touches of irreverence and a style that combines analysis of detail with balanced overview. As author, Kamm's persona is the tutor, conversing companionably with an audience he knows and regards, about a subject he thoroughly comprehends and is passionate about. . . . [He] integrates ancient materials and modern analogues into a compelling narrative that is at once intelligent enquiry and absorbing story.
Ann Raia, College of New Rochelle, in the Classical Journal
Published 2008 by Routledge (a member of the Taylor and Francis Group)
Paperback 978-0-415-45825-2
264 pages. 50 illustrations. 4 maps.
List price USA $32.95, UK £17.99