I have had my copy of the abridged version of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon for many years now. But it is only now that I have started to read it.
I read just the Foreword, Introduction, Preface and the first chapter and was blown away by the insights contained in the same. I am going to have more than enough material for my blog as I continue reading. It is widely considered to be the greatest work of history ever written.
Link is below. I recommend it to all who have anything to do with the military, politics or bureaucracy. Quoting from the introduction:
… the book has become a handy guide to sources of decay in other empires and civilizations.
Decline and Fall was written in the late eighteenth century which means that it has been used as a guide for more than 200 years. That is long enough for it to be tested as a reliable guide of the civilization you are interested in.
At the same time the book can also be read for amusement and instruction. It is quite long of course, weighing in at 1.5 million words. But the abridgement does away with a million words and that makes it (the abridgement) the length of a long novel. At the same time the abridgement retains the scope of the original. The editor – one Mr. Hans-Friederich Mueller – is a scholar familiar with Gibbon’s work.
At the same time this edition emphasizes elements ignored in all other abridgements – in particular the role of religion in the empire and the rise of Islam.
In the introduction Gibbon’s book has been referred to as intimate. That is because he can tell each of us about the role of people in the grand chronicle of empires and civilizations. And he does so with an indefatigably eloquent pen.
But 1.5 million words is way too long. I remember the time I tried to read the original Decline and Fall. IT had too many facts and figures that I was not in the least interested in like the size of the population of cities and countries of the Roman empire. I could not sustain my interest for too long. I think reading the original is required only for historians and students of history. I just want to write a few articles for my blog and be amused and instructed in the bargain. The abridgement is more than sufficient for me.
Here is the link to the book:
My next article will cover the insights that Gibbon has to offer regarding the military prowess of the Roman empire. This is material covered in Chapter 1. I think it is quite possible for me to write one article for each of the chapters in the book. I hope you will find that interesting..
I’ll end here. Please explore this blog for more articles that will interest you and let me have your comments. Feedback from my readers keeps me going.
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