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Picking seven events through 2500 years of Roman history, this is a very entertaining and fluently written non fiction book which doubles as an open-eyed love letter to Rome through the ages. One of the book's strengths is that the author really puts some effort into bring each era he chooses to life, describing the food, clothing, tastes, scandals, cultural highlights along with (some) vivid personalities. Since it's not a sevel volume magnum opus, this also means inevitably none of the seven eras are covered "completely" - even if one could -, but then that's not the book's ambition. The portrait of Rome's ups and downs through the many, many ages is a vivid one, and illustrating the many cultural shifts the book covers by the focus on one particular city - well, the city - is inspired. Also, extra kudos for always considering not just the upper class of any given period but the various sections of the population including the slaves (as long as slavery is still around).
Most of the eras described I had only general knowledge of, without any specialization, with one exception, since it just so happens I had read a biography of Charles V. just a few months ago and one of his illegitimate daughter Margaret of Parma more recently. Which unfortunately means I have some nitpicks about the chapter on the (in)famous "Sacco di Roma" from 1527 (subtitle "Spaniards and Lutherans"). Not about the actual sacking itself, which was one of the most brutal ones (not least because of the commanders were dead and the army hadn't been payed in ages), but about the lead up, where Kneale tells his readers when describing the worsening relationship between Emperor Charles V. and Pope Clement VII. that Charles bringing Luther to Rome to install him as the next Pope "seemed a genuine possibility", and that his pushing Clement to call for a Council could have had only one purpose, i.e. using the Council to get rid of Clement. This made me cough like I had tuberculosis. Maaaaaybe in Clement's most paranoid nightmare, but honestly, I doubt even the quondam Giulio de' Medici thought Pope Luther was in the cards in freaking 1527.
( Why this was about as realistic as claiming Boris Johnson would campaign for EU President )
But this is my only complaint/serious nitpick. Like I said, by and large, I really enjoyed reading this book, and can reccommend it if you want an original perspective on the history of Rome as a city through two and a half millennia. Just one more warning: there's enough talk of delicious food in it so that you'll want to eat Italian dishes afterwards. Even along with the talk of bad hygiene in several of the eras covered. ;)
Most of the eras described I had only general knowledge of, without any specialization, with one exception, since it just so happens I had read a biography of Charles V. just a few months ago and one of his illegitimate daughter Margaret of Parma more recently. Which unfortunately means I have some nitpicks about the chapter on the (in)famous "Sacco di Roma" from 1527 (subtitle "Spaniards and Lutherans"). Not about the actual sacking itself, which was one of the most brutal ones (not least because of the commanders were dead and the army hadn't been payed in ages), but about the lead up, where Kneale tells his readers when describing the worsening relationship between Emperor Charles V. and Pope Clement VII. that Charles bringing Luther to Rome to install him as the next Pope "seemed a genuine possibility", and that his pushing Clement to call for a Council could have had only one purpose, i.e. using the Council to get rid of Clement. This made me cough like I had tuberculosis. Maaaaaybe in Clement's most paranoid nightmare, but honestly, I doubt even the quondam Giulio de' Medici thought Pope Luther was in the cards in freaking 1527.
( Why this was about as realistic as claiming Boris Johnson would campaign for EU President )
But this is my only complaint/serious nitpick. Like I said, by and large, I really enjoyed reading this book, and can reccommend it if you want an original perspective on the history of Rome as a city through two and a half millennia. Just one more warning: there's enough talk of delicious food in it so that you'll want to eat Italian dishes afterwards. Even along with the talk of bad hygiene in several of the eras covered. ;)
