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A History of Rome, Volume 1  By  cover art

A History of Rome, Volume 1

By: Cyril Robinson
Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
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Publisher's summary

A History of Rome is the story of a tiny market town on the Tiber, its rise to world domination, and then its slow, terrible plunge to utter ruin. It is the single greatest event in all human history. Discover the fascinating origin of Rome and its mysterious Etruscan connections, its first faltering steps toward republican government, and its methodical subjugation of surrounding tribes. Slowly, the puritanical Roman Republic asserts control over all of Italy and in the process forges a political unity which proves enduring. That unity is sorely tested as Rome comes into conflict with Carthage and Hannibal, a horrifying ordeal which alters world history for all time. A resurgent Rome is next drawn into the intrigues of the eastern Mediterranean, finally conquering the Greek speaking world...only to end up surrendering itself to a seductive, decadent Hellenistic culture. A century of politcal tension and civil strife ensues. Follow the rise of powerful men like the brothers Tiberius and Caius Gracchus, Marius, Sulla, Pompey, Cicero and the greatest Roman of them all - Julius Caesar.

©2001 Audio Connoisseur

What listeners say about A History of Rome, Volume 1

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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent work!

I went into this audiobook with barely more than a rudimentary knowledge of Roman history. I had a basic grasp of certain emperors, various conflicts, and the like, but certainly nothing on a remotely academic scale.

This recording is excellent. It's beginnings are rather dry- lots of names, rivers, mountain ranges, tribes, and the like- but once everything is in place, it picks up dramatically. The telling of the Punic Wars will honestly keep you on the edge of your seat. Thanks to these tapes, I have a new interest in the General Hannibal. The tales of politics and intrigue is sure to fascinate any student of history.

The narration is eloquent and well-done. The chapters are organized in good fashion, though you will most likely need to rewind at certain places to get all the names and events in order.

All in all, excellent work. Ten hours of engaging history- and definetly relevant to current events. Check it out.

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23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

my opinion

Generally the historic timeline is accurate but this book is wildly biased for the Romans seeing them, from the earliest settlement, as genetically superior to their neighbors. Assumptions on personal motives are made without historic record to support them and some historic record is used without a critical eye. All other cultures are base and any flaw in the Roman culture is primarily do to unnatural hellenic influence. It really is very prejudiced and should be taken with a large dose of skepticism.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

A superb survey of Ancient Roman History

I was looking for a reasonably comprehensive history not just of the "decline and fall" of Rome, but of its rise as well. I was particularly interested in the final years of the republic, which occurred prior to the zenith of Roman power.

In this book, I hit the jackpot. The writing is clear, the narration spirited. I found this survey to be just the right level of detail in order to permit the reader to see similarities with events of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Don't miss Volume 2, either, which was just as good.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Somewhat plodding in places, but worthwhile

The story is somewhat plodding and drags in some places, but then such an all-encompassing topic of history is not always subject matter that can keep the listener's attention riveted to the "story." It is, in the end, a worthwhile and entertaining lead-in to Volume 2, which by either quality of writing or by accident of history, is a better book.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

I wish Griffin read ALL audio books

You can easily find more up-to-date histories of Rome that will include recent archaeological findings and exclude the racial stereotypes, but this is a fascinating story well-told by an engaging reader.

I listened to it twice almost back-to-back and am eager to hear Part II.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

A Real History

If youre looking for a detailed look at the History of rome, then this is it.
Vocally it does take a little getting used to but stick with it because you'll be amazed at just how much you didn't know about the Romans!
I've listen to both volumes one and two. Highly reccomended.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Biased & outdated but useful!

I found this narration annoying and and forced. Mispronunciations and a plumy faux english accent mar this old fashioned, timeline type of history telling. I cannot share the enthusiasm of other reviewers for this Narrator. At times I turned it off in exasperation! However I found the text compelling enough to continue to the end.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent and Riveting

While this is an excellent History of Rome, IMHO , it is even better narrated by Charlton Griffin. I downloaded it partly because I had listened to Hannibal: One Man Against Rome (also great), which was narrated by Griffin. He is a joy to listen to, at least for me. I'm look forward to Xenophon and Histories of Greece as well! A great book and a great listening experience. Now if he were to only narrate A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman, I would really be grateful.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Impressive

Professor Cyril Edward Robinson (1884-1981) is a well known classical historian and author of many books on ancient Greece and Rome. In this book Robinson provides an introduction to ancient Roman history. The book covers the history from the beginning of Roman history around 700 B.C. and end just before the final chaos. The main emphasis of the book is on the last two centuries of the Republic to 264 B.C... The author skims over the problems of early Roman history and the complexities and difficulties that had bearing on later developments.

It appears that Robinson maintained a high level of accuracy and provided excellent footnotes and documentation. The book is extremely well written. Robinson interprets the character of the outstanding figures on strictly conventional lines. The simplicity of his narrative is easy to read and his proper British grammar a delight to behold. Robinson has a lively style with an ear for a good phrase, and a sense of the drama of his subjects. He conveys his own enthusiasm of the subject to his readers.

It is a pleasure to listen to Charlton griffin’s highly trained voice of a British stage actor. I believe he enhances the will written text and the audio book and enjoyable listen.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A Great audio book

I have always wanted to know more about Rome, than the simple 1 or 2 pages they usually put in the history books. This book and part2 are extremely detailed in their coverage of Rome's History from beginning to end. And even for all the detail it was very engrossing.

The audio itself was very clear and easy to listen too. The narrator has a good voice and a compelling way of tell the History.

An excellent audiobook.

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6 people found this helpful