The Fall of Empires by Cormac O'Brien


The Fall of Empires
Title : The Fall of Empires
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 1741963826
ISBN-10 : 9781741963823
Language : English
Format Type : Paperback
Number of Pages : 304
Publication : First published June 5, 2009

"Taking a journey through some of history's most climactic turns of fate, The Fall of Empires charts sixteen ancient empires from glory to ruin. Impeccably researched and featuring many colour photographs and drawings of locations and artifacts, this book offers a fresh, colourful look at the distant past and at the fascinating subject of imperial mortality."

The Fall of Empires Reviews

  • Bryan Whitehead

    Despite taking on a huge task – short versions of the rise and fall of 16 great empires – historian Cormac O’Brien manages to be both engaging and thorough (or at least as thorough as space allows). I found myself drawn to the conversational, even clever writing as much as the history, which was a welcome treat in this particular realm of nonfiction. To be sure, the entries are a bit uneven. In particular, the Maya chapter reflects just how little we know about what was once a vast realm. But in general the work is informative and at points even entertaining.

  • Maggie

    Great detailed book examining numerous civilisations. I added to the book by photocopying maps of all the regions mentioned which provided helpful extra information.

  • Michelle

    This book takes on a pretty ambitious project, detailing empires that lasted centuries in one chapter apiece. Unsurprisingly, it does some chapters better than others. It did a great job with Alexander the Great, and Rome (as much as you can do in a chapter, Carthage and Egypt. This is a good introduction to get you interested in specific peoples and time periods so you can find more in-depth material on them later.

  • Sam

    So so so good so far. It's so good in fact that I find myself reading it 90 percent more than the school books I actually am required to read. Whoops, but so worth it.

  • Tim O'Neill

    Good overall view of a few empires. Wish there were maps to help place in context.