Synopses & Reviews
The Britain of the Roman Occupation is, in a way, an age that is dark to us. While the main events from 55 BC to AD 410 are little disputed, and the archaeological remains of villas, forts, walls, and cities explain a great deal, we lack a clear sense of individual lives. This book is the first to infuse the story of Britannia with a beating heart, the first to describe in detail who its inhabitants were and their place in our history.
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A lifelong specialist in Romano-British history, Guy de la Bandeacute;doyandegrave;re is the first to recover the period exclusively as a human experience. He focuses not on military campaigns and imperial politics but on individual, personal stories. Roman Britain is revealed as a place where the ambitious scramble for power and prestige, the devout seek solace and security through religion, men and women eke out existences in a provincial frontier land. De la Bandeacute;doyandegrave;re introduces Fortunata the slave girl, Emeritus the frustrated centurion, the grieving father Quintus Corellius Fortis, and the brilliant metal worker Boduogenus, among numerous others. Through a wide array of records and artifacts, the author introduces the colorful cast of immigrants who arrived during the Roman era while offering an unusual glimpse of indigenous Britons, until now nearly invisible in histories of Roman Britain.
Review
andquot;This is a very enjoyable book: well-organized, smartly presented and written in a lively style. A and#39;good read.and#39;andquot;andmdash;David Kennedy, author of
The Roman Army in the EastReview
andldquo;[An] amazing, not overly-long book. . . . Mr. de la Bandeacute;doyandegrave;re[,] your commentaries on the Boudican War, tribal politics, architecture, religion, the Imperial crisis of the third century, and much, much more provide a rich historical backdrop for the stories of the lives of the ordinary people who are the real stars of your book. Great read, and my hat is off to you, sir!andrdquo;andmdash;Alex Johnston, UNRV.com
Review
andldquo;De la Bandeacute;doyandegrave;re considers each bit of evidence with wit and imagination, leading the reader with him on the path of discovery.andrdquo;andmdash;Pamela Toler, blogging at History in the Margins, from Shelf Awareness for Readers
Synopsis
An illustrated chronicle of Britain as a Roman province places the region's conquest and occupation by Rome within a larger context of Romano-British society, in an account that includes coverage of such topics as the construction of Hadrian's Wall, the rule of the emperor Honorius, and the recent archaeological discovery of the Colchester stadium.
Synopsis
A definitive and completely up-to-date account of the Roman conquest and occupation of Britain--a crucial period in its history
In this lively, authoritative new account of Britain as a Roman province, Guy de la Bedoyere puts the Roman conquest and occupation of the island within the larger context of Romano-British society and how it functioned.
Following introductory chapters outlining events from the Iron Age period to the emperor Honorius' advice to the Britons in 410 to fend for themselves, the author tackles the issues facing Britons after the absorption of their culture by an invading army, including the role of government and the military in the province, religion, commerce, technology, and day-to-day life both in towns and in the countryside.
The narrative is brought vividly to life by quotations from inscriptions found on tombstones and buildings and the writings of historians such as Tacitus and Dio. The text is supplemented throughout by box features devoted to topics ranging from the Roman city of London and the building of Hadrian's Wall to discoveries such as the Vindolanda writing tablets and the treasure hoards found at Mildenhall and Thetford.
"Roman Britain" is lavishly illustrated with over 290 illustrations, many in color, including reconstruction drawings by the author. Dramatic aerial views of the remains of Roman forts such as Housesteads and Vindolanda along Hadrian's Wall and the Saxon Shore fort of Portchester are also featured. The book incorporates the latest discoveries, including the remains of a stadium recently uncovered in Colchester by the author and a team of archaeologists. 294 illustrations, 77 in color.
Synopsis
An innovative, informative, and entertaining history of Roman Britain told through the lives of individuals in all walks of life
About the Author
Guy de la Bandeacute;doyandegrave;re is author of
Roman Britain: A New History and many other histories of Roman Britain widely admired for their accessibility and flair. He is also author of the popular volume
The Romans for Dummies. He lives in Lincolnshire, UK.