The History of Rome in 12 Buildings

A Travel Companion to the Hidden Secrets of the Eternal City

By: Phillip Barlag

Narrated by: Stephen Graybill

Length: 3 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Any travel guide to Rome will urge visitors to go the Colosseum, but none answers a simple question: Why is it called the Colosseum?

The History of Rome in 12 Buildings: A Travel Companion to the Hidden Secrets of the Eternal City is compelling, concise, and fun, and takes you behind the iconic buildings to reveal the hidden stories of the people that forged the Roman Empire.

Typical travel guides provide torrents of information but deny their listeners depth and perspective. In this gap is the really good stuff - the stories that make the buildings come alive and vividly enhance any trip to Rome.

The History of Rome in 12 Buildings will immerse you in the world of the Romans, one full of drama, intrigue, and scandal. With its help, you will be able to trace the rise and fall of the ancient world's greatest superpower:

• Find the last resting spot of Julius Caesar.
• Join Augustus as he offers sacrifices to the gods.
• Discover the lie on the façade of the Pantheon.
• Walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
• And so much more.

©2018 Phillip Barlag (P)2018 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Mixed reaction

An overall interesting idea to give a glimpse of Rome's history by visiting specific, historic sites. However, the wisdom of the sites selected is uneven, though it is understandable that finding the best twelve sites to represent the sweeping scope of Rome's history would be daunting. My main gripe, and admittedly it is a quibble, is the narrator's severely untutored pronunciation of certain Italian words, the most shocking being 'Spagna', which was pronounced with a hard 'g' like 'sphagnum moss'. Though a minor detail, it unfortunately caused me to question the actual content of the book if the author and narration editors would allow such a mistake to pass through.

Still, the book is instructive and helpful.

Fascinating history lesson

I’m married to a Roman and have a second home there. On every visit I find something new to explore, as Rome never runs out of places to explore. This book has given me my next itinerary; I have been to the Roman Forum countless times yet never had such an extensive guide. I can’t wait for my next trip. I enjoyed the Audible version but will have to get the printed version to reap all the benefits.
Well done - bravo!

A really good quick overview of Rome

There was a lot of great content here in a condensed format and I found it very useful when I was preparing for a Rome trip with only two weeks to brush up on some history. After my trip, I’m now going back and listening again. My only suggestion is that the restaurant suggestions, addresses and phone numbers could be removed from the audio and included in a downloadable text version.

So you think you know Rome & Roman History?

This remarkable, easy to read, small book, ties much of it together in an extraordinary fashion, coupled with a highly enjoyable performance by the narrator.

I've now bought hard copies for the photos and to give to friends (including 1 who lives in Rome).

Highly recommended.

makes me want to go back and visit Rome

excellently narrated, the author explains twelve historical sites and how they came to be. this is an excellent read before visiting such a beautiful country.

Good info

Entertaining and informative pre-trip listen. Narration a little dry, better at a faster speed. Good oversll.