Published by Usborne Illustrated World History, London England, this book is available in the US from High Standard Hobbies, PO Box 5297, Central Point OR 97502 for $15.99. This is a 96 page soft cover book dealing with all aspects of the history of ancient Rome. It is not only a good summary of the history of Rome but provides a good background source for all types of information for those interested in this period of history, including food clothing, family life, religion, medicine, etc.

The military information is not extensive and some of the conclusions are arguable, none the less, I found it an overall valuable reference source, particularly in terms of visualizing life in ancient Rome. The pictures of houses and buildings, layouts of cities, etc., would be useful for those modeling structures and many of the background facts would be useful for those organizing campaigns set in this era.

I also found it to be a valuable companion piece to some of the current popular fiction series dealing with ancient Rome, including the First Man in Rome series, by Colleen Mc Cullough, The Falco series by Lindsay Davis, the SPQR series by John Maddox Roberts, and the Roman Blood series by Steven Saylor. At first glance the book appears perhaps to have been written for more youthful readers, but it is nonetheless chock full of interesting information. Also available are books on the Greeks and Early Civilization for the same price -

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