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Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age

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Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age

By: Tom Holland
Narrated by: Tom Holland
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About this listen

 THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'Holland, who co-hosts the podcast The Rest Is History, is at his best when having fun with Rome's bloody history' The Times

'A book for lovers of traditional, grand sweep narrative history' Sunday Times

The definitive history of Rome's golden age - antiquity's ultimate superpower at the pinnacle of its greatness

The Pax Romana has long been revered as a golden age. At its peak, the Roman Empire stretched from Scotland to Arabia, and contained perhaps a quarter of humanity. It was the wealthiest and most formidable state the world had yet seen.

Beginning in 69AD, a year that saw four Caesars in succession rule the empire, and ending some seven decades later with the death of Hadrian, Pax presents a dazzling history of Rome at the height of its power. From the gilded capital to realms beyond the frontier, historian Tom Holland portrays the Roman Empire in all its predatory glory. Vivid scene follows vivid scene: the destruction of Jerusalem and Pompeii, the building of the Colosseum and Hadrian's Wall, the conquests of Trajan. Vividly sketching the lives of Romans both ordinary and spectacular, from slaves to emperors, Holland demonstrates how Roman peace was the fruit of unprecedented military violence.

A stunning portrait of Rome's glory days, this is the epic history of the pax Romana.©2023 Tom Holland (P)2023 Hachette Audio UK Ancient Rome Ancient History Thought-Provoking Italy Ancient Greece

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Critic reviews

A sweeping, colourful history of Rome at its swaggering, superpower zenith by The Rest is History podcaster and bestselling author. Hail Caesar! Hail Tom Holland! (Robbie Millen)
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Very easy to listen to. In detail coverage from the end of Nero to the end of Hadrians reign.

Roman Peace

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A real treat - Tom Holland bringing to life his own writing. Subtle, entertaining and memorable.

Brilliantly entertaining and fascinating

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well read, passionate, but not over the top. Tom Holland always makes his history books fun and relatable. He is also a great reader. Highly recommend! Check out his podcast The Rest Is History if you like this.

Tom Holland is always great

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Superb retelling of the demise of Nero, the year of the four emperors and the Flavian dynasty. I'm familiar with Christian history and it's excellent to hear the Roman history described, knowing that the early Church was interacting with and in this morally ambiguous and cruel empire. Fascinating stuff. Brilliant treatment of the fall of Jerusalem and how it propped up the Emperor via propaganda. I enjoyed this having previously read Domininon, and it was well worth it.

Rome with all its moral ambiguities brought to life

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If you wish to learn about ancient empires and rulers I would use mr Hollands books every time

Hardly put this down

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The book has a great blend of overall themes, and personal stories of characters - great and less well known - from the period. It also has intriguing details about what is known about Roman life during this period. Good narration by Tom himself; very comforting to hear his familiar voice as I listen to The Rest is History regularly. I particularly enjoyed the section on Pompeii and it prompted me to re-read Robert Harris’s great thriller ‘Pompeii’ afterwards. Learnt lots about the period and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Enjoyable, very interesting listen

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Loved it for its portrayal of a history in an entertaining format. A reading by an author is always a treat.

Assessable history

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but i wanted it to continue on and do Gibbon in exquisite detail, and not just stop with (spoilers) Hadrian’s death

i devoured this

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Perfect third installation in this series. Fully recommended whether you are an existing Roman history enthusiast or a newbie.

Narrated by Holland himself in contrast to the previous books, which is brilliant for those already familiar with him from his podcast.

Another brilliant addition to the Holland roster

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Tom Holland never fails to paint a vivid picture of far distant historical times. His books always manage to bring antiquity to life.
Wonderful, broad overview. Makes me want to dig deeper into the subject.

Gripping tale of Rome’s golden age

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