The Ruin of the Roman Empire

The Emperor Who Brought It Down, The Barbarians Who Could Have Saved It

James J. O’Donnell

ISBN 9781861979353

February 2009

Price £25.00

Hardback, 448 pp.

Buy this book at amazon.co.uk

View quote sheet

Subject: History

A provocative portrait of the end of Rome’s empire in the 5th and 6th centuries by a major historian, who tells the story of the barbarians who might have saved it and the Emperor who brought it down.

What really marked the end of the Roman Empire? James O’Donnell’s magnificent new book takes us back to the sixth century and the last time the Empire could be regarded as a single community.

Two figures dominate his narrative – Theodoric the ‘barbarian’, whose civilized rule in Italy with his philosopher minister Boethius might have been an inspiration, and in Constantinople Justinian, who destroyed the Empire with his rigid passion for orthodoxy and his restless inability to secure his frontiers with peace. The book closes with Pope Gregory the Great, the polished product of ancient Roman schools, presiding over a Rome in ruins.

‘The Ruin of the Roman Empire is an exotic and instructive tale, told with life, learning and just the right measure of laughter on every page. O'Donnell combines a historian's mastery of substance with a born storyteller's sense of style to create a magnificent work of art. Perfect for history-lovers and admirers of great writing alike’
— Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State

‘O’Donnell’s richly layered book provides significant glimpses into the many factors that leveled a mighty empire ’
— Publishers Weekly