The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman EmpireThe History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Score Modern
What it's about
Edward Gibbon, writing in the 1770s and 80s, tells the history of the Roman Empire from its height in the 2nd century to the fall of Constantinople in 1453: emperors good and terrible, barbarian invasions, the rise of Christianity, the division of the empire, and the long collapse of the ancient world.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction of all time. Gibbon's ironic, elegant prose made it one of the most famous histories ever written.
You'll love it if you liked
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome
Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th CenturyGood to know
It's six huge volumes; most readers choose an abridgment. His treatment of Christianity was controversial.
By the numbers
- Readers76 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it doesn't have enough readers yet for us to rank it alongside the Must-Read 50 pool. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Epic
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Quick answers
Is The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire worth reading?
It's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction of all time. Its Must-Read Score is 74.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire about?
Edward Gibbon, writing in the 1770s and 80s, tells the history of the Roman Empire from its height in the 2nd century to the fall of Constantinople in 1453: emperors good and terrible, barbarian invasions, the rise of Christianity, the division of the empire, and the long collapse of the ancient world.
How long does it take to read The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?
About 114 hours (4546 pages), or about 33 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?
If you liked it, try SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard, Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland or A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman.