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Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age

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Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age

By: Tom Holland
Narrated by: Tom Holland
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About this listen

 THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'Holland, who co-hosts the podcast The Rest Is History, is at his best when having fun with Rome's bloody history' The Times

'A book for lovers of traditional, grand sweep narrative history' Sunday Times

The definitive history of Rome's golden age - antiquity's ultimate superpower at the pinnacle of its greatness

The Pax Romana has long been revered as a golden age. At its peak, the Roman Empire stretched from Scotland to Arabia, and contained perhaps a quarter of humanity. It was the wealthiest and most formidable state the world had yet seen.

Beginning in 69AD, a year that saw four Caesars in succession rule the empire, and ending some seven decades later with the death of Hadrian, Pax presents a dazzling history of Rome at the height of its power. From the gilded capital to realms beyond the frontier, historian Tom Holland portrays the Roman Empire in all its predatory glory. Vivid scene follows vivid scene: the destruction of Jerusalem and Pompeii, the building of the Colosseum and Hadrian's Wall, the conquests of Trajan. Vividly sketching the lives of Romans both ordinary and spectacular, from slaves to emperors, Holland demonstrates how Roman peace was the fruit of unprecedented military violence.

A stunning portrait of Rome's glory days, this is the epic history of the pax Romana.©2023 Tom Holland (P)2023 Hachette Audio UK Ancient Rome Ancient History Italy Mythology Ancient Greece

Critic reviews

A sweeping, colourful history of Rome at its swaggering, superpower zenith by The Rest is History podcaster and bestselling author. Hail Caesar! Hail Tom Holland! (Robbie Millen)
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Loved it for its portrayal of a history in an entertaining format. A reading by an author is always a treat.

Assessable history

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Beautifully written, captivating and informative without pretension, it’s a story which is impossibly addictive. Thank you

If I could give it a rating of 10 I would

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I missed more analysis and conclusion rather than events and verbal pirouettes. Overuse of words such as fabric, convulsions, and sheer. The incorrect pronounciation of princeps was rather annoying. A professional reader could have probably made it better.

What does it all mean?

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Superb retelling of the demise of Nero, the year of the four emperors and the Flavian dynasty. I'm familiar with Christian history and it's excellent to hear the Roman history described, knowing that the early Church was interacting with and in this morally ambiguous and cruel empire. Fascinating stuff. Brilliant treatment of the fall of Jerusalem and how it propped up the Emperor via propaganda. I enjoyed this having previously read Domininon, and it was well worth it.

Rome with all its moral ambiguities brought to life

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Having read his two earlier books on Rome and greatly enjoyed both I was greatly looking forward to PAX. It was well worth the wait. I could hardly stop listening. superb

superb

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