Rome - by Matthew Kneale (Paperback)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><b>"This magnificent love letter to Rome" (Stephen Greenblatt) tells the story of the Eternal City through pivotal moments that defined its history--from the early Roman Republic through the Renaissance and the Reformation to the German occupation in World War Two--"an erudite history that reads like a page-turner" (Maria Semple). </b> <p/>Rome, the Eternal City. It is a hugely popular tourist destination with a rich history, famed for such sites as the Colosseum, the Forum, the Pantheon, St. Peter's, and the Vatican. In no other city is history as present as it is in Rome. Today visitors can stand on bridges that Julius Caesar and Cicero crossed; walk around temples in the footsteps of emperors; visit churches from the earliest days of Christianity. <p/>This is all the more remarkable considering what the city has endured over the centuries. It has been ravaged by fires, floods, earthquakes, and--most of all--by roving armies. These have invaded repeatedly, from ancient times to as recently as 1943. Many times Romans have shrugged off catastrophe and remade their city anew. <p/>"Matthew Kneale [is] one step ahead of most other Roman chroniclers" (<i>The New York Times Book Review</i>). He paints portraits of the city before seven pivotal assaults, describing what it looked like, felt like, smelled like and how Romans, both rich and poor, lived their everyday lives. He shows how the attacks transformed Rome--sometimes for the better. With drama and humor he brings to life the city of Augustus, of Michelangelo and Bernini, of Garibaldi and Mussolini, and of popes both saintly and very worldly. <i>Rome </i>is "exciting...gripping...a slow roller-coaster ride through the fortunes of a place deeply entangled in its past" (<i>The Wall Street Journal</i>).<p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>"Anyone who's visiting Rome and wants an idea of the ghosts and stories lurking among the ruins could choose no better read."--Louis Cheslaw "Condé Nast Traveler"<br><br>"Evokes [Rome] with casual brilliance. . . . The most exciting passages relate the sacks themselves, from motley barbarian armies appearing below the walls (several times in fact) to the horror of Allied bombing raids. . . . There are many other gripping vignettes. . . . this is not a tale of decline and fall so much as a slow roller-coaster ride through the fortunes of a place deeply entangled in its past."--Greg Woolf "The Wall Street Journal"<br><br>"Like most very old and very storied cities, Rome has as many scars as trophies.This hard reality is the guiding genius of Matthew Kneale's absorbing new book. . . . [Rome's] long, uneven, colorful history feels new when it's examined this way, through its defeats instead of its victories." --Steve Donoghue "Christian Science Monitor"<br><br>"The brilliance of [Kneale's] own raid on Rome lies in the principle of selectivity he has brought to it--what is done to Rome matters as much as what Rome does to the world--and the depth of his research. . . . Kneale [is] one step ahead of most other Roman chroniclers."--Aaron Retica "The New York Times Book Review"<br><br>"What's not to love about a historical book that reads like a novel? Long-time resident (and novelist) Matthew Kneale tells the story of Rome through the lens of seven key battles. . . . You'll come away with a new understanding of one of the world's most well-preserved cities, its famed ruins, and the tenacity and pride of its people."-- "AFAR Magazine"<br><br>"<i>Rome: A History in Seven Sackings</i> is that rarest of treats: an erudite history that reads like a page-turner. With a novelist's eye for the revealing detail, and the genial grace of your favorite tour guide, Matthew Kneale plunges us into the fascinating palimpsest they call the Eternal City. Magnificently entertaining all around!"--Maria Semple, author of Today Will Be Different and Where'd You Go, Bernadette<br><br>"This magnificent love letter to Rome comes in the form of a vivid chronicle of the great city's repeated catastrophes and recoveries. Sharp-eyed, richly informed, tirelessly curious, and often wryly amusing, Kneale is the perfect Virgil to accompany any pilgrim who wishes to trace the vast spiral that leads from the ancient past to the bittersweet present."--Stephen Greenblatt Author of The Swerve: How the World Became Modern<br><br>"With an eye for detail and an ear for language, Kneale guides a journey through seven bloody events spanning more than two millennia in the history of the place he knows well, the world's most fascinating city, Rome. It's an unforgettable trip."--Barry Strauss, Cornell University, author of The Death of Caesar: The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination<br>
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