The Storm Before the Storm: Unveiling the Downfall of the Roman Republic

Fabián Rodríguez: El período entre las guerras púnicas y la guerra de las Galias no es lo suficientemente tratado, o al menos, no es divulgado con la misma celeridad que estos grandes eventos. Leer cómo poco a poco las tradiciones y tabúes que mantuvieron la República durante 500 años colapsaban cual piezas de dominó, y las diferencias entre los optimates y los populares se acrecentaban más y más, no podía parar. Lo terminé en un mes. Un excelente trabajo de divulgación.

Mexico on Sep 27, 2023

Amazon Customer: Recommended to all students of history. Very helpful to understand the specific timelines and the thought process of the various individual.

United States on Aug 26, 2023

PubliusRedux: Just as many current historians now view the geo-political results of WWI as seeding WWII, Mr. Duncan, a popular history podcaster (“The History of Rome”), illustrates how the Roman “social” civil wars between 130 and 79 BC sowed the ground for the “caesarian” civil wars of 44 to 27 BC which resulted in the end of the Roman Republic and the creation of the Roman Empire.

This book is obviously intended to answer Mr. Duncan’s podcast participants most pressing, and frequent, questions: “While producing The History of Rome I was asked the same questions over and over again. Is America Rome? Is the United States following a similar historical trajectory? If so where does the US stand on the Roman timeline?”

We can say “obviously” because Mr. Duncan’s book is replete with historical parallels between the decline of the Roman Republic and what we have witnessed here in the United States since at least the 1980s:
Two parties—in the Roman republic the Plebians who controlled the popularly elected Roman Assembly and the Optimates who controlled the Roman aristocratic Senate—constantly using whatever legal means, and sometimes illegal means—to...

United States on Aug 07, 2023

A. Diamante: I've had this on my to-read list for the longest time, and I'm really glad I have it now. The quality of the book was good when it arrived, I didn't really have any complaints. It was shipped pretty fast and I got before the estimated delivery date.

United States on Aug 06, 2023

Kindle Customer: Thoroughly enjoyed reading this on holiday - very interesting and insightful. I’d recommend

United Kingdom on May 10, 2023

ivbell: Once you get over worrying about all the names and just consider what is happening, this is an interesting and, dare I say, fun read. The Roman Republic before the Caesars and emperors was a place of constantly changing power structures. The accounts of who was up and who was down (and usually dead) is a way to consider how centralized government has changed over the centuries - and not changed. Petty, selfish, tyrannical, self-serving and occasionally inspired leaders are the norm both then - and now.

United States on Apr 28, 2023

Paul@Aude_France: An enjoyable and highly readable account of a key period in ancient Rome's history, the consulships of Marius and Sulla which were turning points for the republic and how their actions were the beginning of the end of the republic they thought they were saving. Readers who are knowledgeable of the period won't learn anything new but it's well-written in an informal style.

France on Oct 17, 2022

Amazon Customer: This book covers a little known period of Roman history from the fall of Carthage to the death of Sulla the Dictator. In general the story develops in chronological order and allows the reader to follow the crisis that eventually would envelope the Republic. This is a well written account that maintains interest from the preface to the epilogue. This is not boring, or stuffy, history.

The author has extensively trawled the works of the ancient writers and pieced together a fascinating narrative that is comprehensively cross-referenced. This was a period of massive change as the Roman Republic expanded into chaos and descended into civil war and eventually the formation of the Principate. This work records the facts that led to the fall of the Roman Republic, but offers very little insight apart from a brief comparison towards modern politics in the USA. The sources appear to have been taken at face value without questioning their motive, or accuracy. This does not distract from the flow of the story, or the ultimate outcome, but in my view reduces the work from five to four stars.

Overall this is a very interesting book and anyone reading it without prior knowledge...

United Kingdom on Sep 03, 2019

Charles Scott: The book, The Storm Before the Storm, by Mike Duncan was published in 2017. The impressively well-researched, concise, and scholarly work relates to the stone-throwing, sword-wielding history of Rome during the time period roughly four to seven generations before the birth of Jesus Christ. A stark sense of foreboding begins to dawn on you when you read between the lines. You find the inference "raising an army in Rome was not difficult" has far-reaching implications. In addition, the author provides readers with an excellent English translation of an esoteric Latin quotation attributed to a wise and prominent philosopher at the beginning of each chapter. Insightful, the quotation drives home a major point, gives greater meaning to, and offers a unique perspective for the topic in question in each chapter.
If you are not already a well-versed lover of Latin linguistics, the author takes time to explain the meaning, usage, and function of certain obtuse, archaic, or technical terms, which have evolved or been incorporated into the daily lives of virtually every Roman citizen. You can't help but gain a deeper appreciation of the Forum, the Senate, and the Assembly, as well as many...

United States on Mar 06, 2018

Cincinato: Primer libro del famoso podcaster de La Historia de Roma y de Revoluciones.

Mike Duncan es un gran comunicador y un entusiasta de la historia antigua. Las dos novedades que incorpora son un buen sentido del humor que pone siempre un poco de color a lo que ya de por si es una buena historia, y la segunda y mas interesante es que pone le foco en una historia mas global, mas social y no solo política.

En su primer libro se centra en un periodo de la historia de roma bien conocido pero menos trabajado que el del fin de la República. Nos cuenta el interesante proceso desde la caída de Cartago hasta Sila pasando por los Gracos, Mario, Saturnino, las guerras sociales, las revueltas de esclavos de Sicilia, Numidia, el reino del Ponto... Un periodo intensísimo y de cambio constante.

En resumen, el lento pero constante deterioro de las instituciones de la República y como el terreno se preparó para la llegada de Julio Cesar y Octavio. De ahí el título, que sugiere que la falta de respuesta por parte de las instituciones de la república a los problemas de este periodo, condujo a su fin y a la llegada del Imperio.

Con una perspectiva social e institucional...

Spain on Nov 21, 2017