An accessible classic, 02 May 2008
Having gone through the state education system, I came out of school completely uneducated about things like history and classic literature and I've been trying to rectify this omission for many years. This has resulted in me reading a lot of the classics line, and something I've realised is what hard work many of them are. As times change, so do writing styles and ideas of what makes a narrative work, and to the modern reader many books written hundreds of years past can be a challenging read.
This is why Josephus is such a pleasure. For all that we are separated from him by almost two thousand years, his humanity shines through. His history of the Jewish war against the Romans in the late 1st century AD is very much a history of his own activities therein, and what an unashamedly self-serving document it is. Originally a regional commander in the rebellious jewish army, Josephus wrote his history after his capture by the Romans and defection to their side (he became a Roman citizen and a courtier to more than one emperor). By turns witty, outrageously immodest and deceitful, Josephus wrote a hagiography of himself and his roman patrons and a tremendously enjoyable read it is too. By humanising his narrative, he also succeeds in making it accessible.

We have so few records of the ancient world it is impossible to be absolutely certain how accurate any given historical document is. However, as well as being enjoyable, the archaelogical and historical record suggests that when Josephus talks about the facts of the war (who won and fought who, where and when) he can be trusted in the broad sweep if not in the details.
It's a fascinating and human insight into the ancient world which shows that people, wherever and whenever they lived, are just as human - and as worried about their reputations - as are we.

Good translation, but referencing could be improved, 01 May 2004
As a translation of classical literature, the Penguin edition serves as a useful companion to any student of Josephus, or of the period of Roman control over Israel in the first pre-Christian and post-Christian centuries. It is the cheaper alternative to the expensive Loeb translation.

However, since most scholarship tends to use the Loeb referencing system, it would be useful if the Penguin edition has better cross-refencing with this system. This would make it far easier for the student to find the approriate passage in the Penguin, given a Loeb citation.

An accessible classic, 02 May 2008
Having gone through the state education system, I came out of school completely uneducated about things like history and classic literature and I've been trying to rectify this omission for many years. This has resulted in me reading a lot of the classics line, and something I've realised is what hard work many of them are. As times change, so do writing styles and ideas of what makes a narrative work, and to the modern reader many books written hundreds of years past can be a challenging read.
This is why Josephus is such a pleasure. For all that we are separated from him by almost two thousand years, his humanity shines through. His history of the Jewish war against the Romans in the late 1st century AD is very much a history of his own activities therein, and what an unashamedly self-serving document it is. Originally a regional commander in the rebellious jewish army, Josephus wrote his history after his capture by the Romans and defection to their side (he became a Roman citizen and a courtier to more than one emperor). By turns witty, outrageously immodest and deceitful, Josephus wrote a hagiography of himself and his roman patrons and a tremendously enjoyable read it is too. By humanising his narrative, he also succeeds in making it accessible.

We have so few records of the ancient world it is impossible to be absolutely certain how accurate any given historical document is. However, as well as being enjoyable, the archaelogical and historical record suggests that when Josephus talks about the facts of the war (who won and fought who, where and when) he can be trusted in the broad sweep if not in the details.
It's a fascinating and human insight into the ancient world which shows that people, wherever and whenever they lived, are just as human - and as worried about their reputations - as are we.

Good translation, but referencing could be improved, 01 May 2004
As a translation of classical literature, the Penguin edition serves as a useful companion to any student of Josephus, or of the period of Roman control over Israel in the first pre-Christian and post-Christian centuries. It is the cheaper alternative to the expensive Loeb translation.

However, since most scholarship tends to use the Loeb referencing system, it would be useful if the Penguin edition has better cross-refencing with this system. This would make it far easier for the student to find the approriate passage in the Penguin, given a Loeb citation.

Almost perfect., 26 Jun 2004
This book is intended for everybody who is interested in byzantine history,(maybe for an early student of byzantium as well)but not for specialists.
Written in an academic language by Cyril Mango, i had some unknonwn words. The language of the other historians writing in the book is quite flawless. The book contains many information on both culture and military history of byzantium and is superbly illustrated(emphasis given to hagiographies). My rating is 5 stars for all above; but what made it a 5 and not a 4 is the sincerity of the writers as to religion(christianity). Patriarchs, priests and followers of christianity arent seen as holy persons(*Julius Norwich* for example did exactly the opposite in many cases); instead, they are judged in the same way as islamists or the pope or western christians are.
I find his objective judgement very important because, although we know that he killed his wife and his son, *some* try to hide these informations in order to remain 'perfect' in the eyes of followers. It's good when historians write history as it is, and not the way some would like it to be...

Mango shines, 25 Nov 2002
Excellent presentation, fantasic pictures, the clarity of the text was outstanding, all the authors are world renound experts in thier particular fields. The sections from Mango himself were a particular treat, brillianty written and as awlays he never assumes that the reader knows to much, or in some casese to little. The last section on the Paiologan dynasty, was as good, if not better than anything that Nicol could have written.The oxford history will once and for all cast off the shadow left by Gibbon. In short this is SUPERB. This is a book for specialists and those with only a passing intrest in the subject. BUY IT NOW

An accessible classic, 02 May 2008
Having gone through the state education system, I came out of school completely uneducated about things like history and classic literature and I've been trying to rectify this omission for many years. This has resulted in me reading a lot of the classics line, and something I've realised is what hard work many of them are. As times change, so do writing styles and ideas of what makes a narrative work, and to the modern reader many books written hundreds of years past can be a challenging read.
This is why Josephus is such a pleasure. For all that we are separated from him by almost two thousand years, his humanity shines through. His history of the Jewish war against the Romans in the late 1st century AD is very much a history of his own activities therein, and what an unashamedly self-serving document it is. Originally a regional commander in the rebellious jewish army, Josephus wrote his history after his capture by the Romans and defection to their side (he became a Roman citizen and a courtier to more than one emperor). By turns witty, outrageously immodest and deceitful, Josephus wrote a hagiography of himself and his roman patrons and a tremendously enjoyable read it is too. By humanising his narrative, he also succeeds in making it accessible.

We have so few records of the ancient world it is impossible to be absolutely certain how accurate any given historical document is. However, as well as being enjoyable, the archaelogical and historical record suggests that when Josephus talks about the facts of the war (who won and fought who, where and when) he can be trusted in the broad sweep if not in the details.
It's a fascinating and human insight into the ancient world which shows that people, wherever and whenever they lived, are just as human - and as worried about their reputations - as are we.

Good translation, but referencing could be improved, 01 May 2004
As a translation of classical literature, the Penguin edition serves as a useful companion to any student of Josephus, or of the period of Roman control over Israel in the first pre-Christian and post-Christian centuries. It is the cheaper alternative to the expensive Loeb translation.

However, since most scholarship tends to use the Loeb referencing system, it would be useful if the Penguin edition has better cross-refencing with this system. This would make it far easier for the student to find the approriate passage in the Penguin, given a Loeb citation.

Almost perfect., 26 Jun 2004
This book is intended for everybody who is interested in byzantine history,(maybe for an early student of byzantium as well)but not for specialists.
Written in an academic language by Cyril Mango, i had some unknonwn words. The language of the other historians writing in the book is quite flawless. The book contains many information on both culture and military history of byzantium and is superbly illustrated(emphasis given to hagiographies). My rating is 5 stars for all above; but what made it a 5 and not a 4 is the sincerity of the writers as to religion(christianity). Patriarchs, priests and followers of christianity arent seen as holy persons(*Julius Norwich* for example did exactly the opposite in many cases); instead, they are judged in the same way as islamists or the pope or western christians are.
I find his objective judgement very important because, although we know that he killed his wife and his son, *some* try to hide these informations in order to remain 'perfect' in the eyes of followers. It's good when historians write history as it is, and not the way some would like it to be...

Mango shines, 25 Nov 2002
Excellent presentation, fantasic pictures, the clarity of the text was outstanding, all the authors are world renound experts in thier particular fields. The sections from Mango himself were a particular treat, brillianty written and as awlays he never assumes that the reader knows to much, or in some casese to little. The last section on the Paiologan dynasty, was as good, if not better than anything that Nicol could have written.The oxford history will once and for all cast off the shadow left by Gibbon. In short this is SUPERB. This is a book for specialists and those with only a passing intrest in the subject. BUY IT NOW

Wrong Translations, 23 Jun 2008
The story and history itself is great however this particular version of the book is filled with incorect translations with Liu Bei being Liu Pei, Cao Cao being Ts'ao Ts'ao and not only is pretty much every name slightly wrong but even items such as Kuan Yu's (properly translated Guan Yu's) weapon being refered to as the Black dragon when its the green dragon so dont let my review put you off the book just dont buy this edition

Beats Iliad, 03 Jul 2005
As a military history fan I picked up this book several months ago and I must say it's one of the best purchases I've ever made.

Romance of three kingdoms focus on arguably the most chaotic and ruthless period of the acient China (220-280 AD), shortly after the collapse of eastern Han dynasty, over a dozen warlords rose to power in the name of 'Restoration of Han', this book is based on three major power, Shu, Wei, Wu and their constant struggle for power. Instead on focusing on warfare itself, this book gives absolutely brilliant account on deceptions, trickery, use of intelligence, as well as cunning diplomatic solutions behind the warfares. Clearly, Sun Tzu's Art of war has infulenced the author greatly.

The only problem about the book is the character names, as the translated Chinese names seem to running to each other every two paragraphs, it takes alot of memorization. But if you have the patience, it will pay off soon.

However, some famous battles mentioned in this novel was not well chronicled, it's highly likely many historical details are simply made up. And the purpose of Shu is probably not as noble as the book portrayed. But as a novel, it's unparalleled.

Read, if you want to know what deception means.

China's best loved epic, 05 Apr 2005
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a fantastic story about the struggle of the Han empire. The first novel concentrates on the rise of the "Three Kingdoms" period, which begins life as a strategy for balancing power between the three main rivals. I use the word fantastic because the stories in this book were recorded by those who were there at the time, but they were also passed through word of mouth all around China. Therefore parts of the story are exaggerated and twisted in the telling (or writing). There are also spectacular observations of shamanistic type magic and very advanced healing methods, Hero's of epic proportions and might, and characters with very interesting traits. This book contains a great balance between an epic dialogue concerning the main protagonists and several short moral stories about specific characters. It also gives you a great sense of Chinese culture, the story being about the re-uniting of the three factions in order to re-form China.

ROTK, 09 Nov 2004
This review is looking at both books one and two as they are meant to be read together.These books are a good blend of History and Fiction. Focusing on the major powers in the 'Three Kingdoms' period, it looks mostly at the eponymous kingdoms, Wu, Shu and Wei. The fact that the novelist lived at the time is a mixed blessing. On one hand he has a keen insight into the events and the context surrounding them. Unfortunately, his early ancestors sided with Shu's leader Liu Bei (or Pei). The bias placed on the Shu characters can get a little grating at times and it places questions on the texts overall validity. However, it remains a good read and highlights an intruiging clash of ideologies, each faction representing one style of rule. You'll soon find yourself siding with one side or another, and when you do the books become difficult to put down.

One of the worlds oldest, and greatest novels, 29 Jul 2004
This is undoubtedly the greatest of all books. It focuses on three men who lived at the end of the China's Han dynasty and displays their struggle to prevent its downfall. It is very long, however is definitely worth the money and effort.

An accessible classic, 02 May 2008
Having gone through the state education system, I came out of school completely uneducated about things like history and classic literature and I've been trying to rectify this omission for many years. This has resulted in me reading a lot of the classics line, and something I've realised is what hard work many of them are. As times change, so do writing styles and ideas of what makes a narrative work, and to the modern reader many books written hundreds of years past can be a challenging read.
This is why Josephus is such a pleasure. For all that we are separated from him by almost two thousand years, his humanity shines through. His history of the Jewish war against the Romans in the late 1st century AD is very much a history of his own activities therein, and what an unashamedly self-serving document it is. Originally a regional commander in the rebellious jewish army, Josephus wrote his history after his capture by the Romans and defection to their side (he became a Roman citizen and a courtier to more than one emperor). By turns witty, outrageously immodest and deceitful, Josephus wrote a hagiography of himself and his roman patrons and a tremendously enjoyable read it is too. By humanising his narrative, he also succeeds in making it accessible.

We have so few records of the ancient world it is impossible to be absolutely certain how accurate any given historical document is. However, as well as being enjoyable, the archaelogical and historical record suggests that when Josephus talks about the facts of the war (who won and fought who, where and when) he can be trusted in the broad sweep if not in the details.
It's a fascinating and human insight into the ancient world which shows that people, wherever and whenever they lived, are just as human - and as worried about their reputations - as are we.

Good translation, but referencing could be improved, 01 May 2004
As a translation of classical literature, the Penguin edition serves as a useful companion to any student of Josephus, or of the period of Roman control over Israel in the first pre-Christian and post-Christian centuries. It is the cheaper alternative to the expensive Loeb translation.

However, since most scholarship tends to use the Loeb referencing system, it would be useful if the Penguin edition has better cross-refencing with this system. This would make it far easier for the student to find the approriate passage in the Penguin, given a Loeb citation.

Almost perfect., 26 Jun 2004
This book is intended for everybody who is interested in byzantine history,(maybe for an early student of byzantium as well)but not for specialists.
Written in an academic language by Cyril Mango, i had some unknonwn words. The language of the other historians writing in the book is quite flawless. The book contains many information on both culture and military history of byzantium and is superbly illustrated(emphasis given to hagiographies). My rating is 5 stars for all above; but what made it a 5 and not a 4 is the sincerity of the writers as to religion(christianity). Patriarchs, priests and followers of christianity arent seen as holy persons(*Julius Norwich* for example did exactly the opposite in many cases); instead, they are judged in the same way as islamists or the pope or western christians are.
I find his objective judgement very important because, although we know that he killed his wife and his son, *some* try to hide these informations in order to remain 'perfect' in the eyes of followers. It's good when historians write history as it is, and not the way some would like it to be...

Mango shines, 25 Nov 2002
Excellent presentation, fantasic pictures, the clarity of the text was outstanding, all the authors are world renound experts in thier particular fields. The sections from Mango himself were a particular treat, brillianty written and as awlays he never assumes that the reader knows to much, or in some casese to little. The last section on the Paiologan dynasty, was as good, if not better than anything that Nicol could have written.The oxford history will once and for all cast off the shadow left by Gibbon. In short this is SUPERB. This is a book for specialists and those with only a passing intrest in the subject. BUY IT NOW

Wrong Translations, 23 Jun 2008
The story and history itself is great however this particular version of the book is filled with incorect translations with Liu Bei being Liu Pei, Cao Cao being Ts'ao Ts'ao and not only is pretty much every name slightly wrong but even items such as Kuan Yu's (properly translated Guan Yu's) weapon being refered to as the Black dragon when its the green dragon so dont let my review put you off the book just dont buy this edition

Beats Iliad, 03 Jul 2005
As a military history fan I picked up this book several months ago and I must say it's one of the best purchases I've ever made.

Romance of three kingdoms focus on arguably the most chaotic and ruthless period of the acient China (220-280 AD), shortly after the collapse of eastern Han dynasty, over a dozen warlords rose to power in the name of 'Restoration of Han', this book is based on three major power, Shu, Wei, Wu and their constant struggle for power. Instead on focusing on warfare itself, this book gives absolutely brilliant account on deceptions, trickery, use of intelligence, as well as cunning diplomatic solutions behind the warfares. Clearly, Sun Tzu's Art of war has infulenced the author greatly.

The only problem about the book is the character names, as the translated Chinese names seem to running to each other every two paragraphs, it takes alot of memorization. But if you have the patience, it will pay off soon.

However, some famous battles mentioned in this novel was not well chronicled, it's highly likely many historical details are simply made up. And the purpose of Shu is probably not as noble as the book portrayed. But as a novel, it's unparalleled.

Read, if you want to know what deception means.

China's best loved epic, 05 Apr 2005
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a fantastic story about the struggle of the Han empire. The first novel concentrates on the rise of the "Three Kingdoms" period, which begins life as a strategy for balancing power between the three main rivals. I use the word fantastic because the stories in this book were recorded by those who were there at the time, but they were also passed through word of mouth all around China. Therefore parts of the story are exaggerated and twisted in the telling (or writing). There are also spectacular observations of shamanistic type magic and very advanced healing methods, Hero's of epic proportions and might, and characters with very interesting traits. This book contains a great balance between an epic dialogue concerning the main protagonists and several short moral stories about specific characters. It also gives you a great sense of Chinese culture, the story being about the re-uniting of the three factions in order to re-form China.

ROTK, 09 Nov 2004
This review is looking at both books one and two as they are meant to be read together.These books are a good blend of History and Fiction. Focusing on the major powers in the 'Three Kingdoms' period, it looks mostly at the eponymous kingdoms, Wu, Shu and Wei. The fact that the novelist lived at the time is a mixed blessing. On one hand he has a keen insight into the events and the context surrounding them. Unfortunately, his early ancestors sided with Shu's leader Liu Bei (or Pei). The bias placed on the Shu characters can get a little grating at times and it places questions on the texts overall validity. However, it remains a good read and highlights an intruiging clash of ideologies, each faction representing one style of rule. You'll soon find yourself siding with one side or another, and when you do the books become difficult to put down.

One of the worlds oldest, and greatest novels, 29 Jul 2004
This is undoubtedly the greatest of all books. It focuses on three men who lived at the end of the China's Han dynasty and displays their struggle to prevent its downfall. It is very long, however is definitely worth the money and effort.

Good attempt, but does have flaws, 02 Jul 2008
The blurb inside the front cover says that Rosen used to be head of a publishing house, and this is his first book. Implication: he's not a professional historian. Looking at his notes at the back, his historical sources seem to be based largely around just a few works; Gibbon looms large, plus some of the other usual suspects like A. H. M. Jones and J. B. Bury. On the medical aspects of the plague, Google seems to have been his friend here.

Despite what on the face of it might seem the work of an amateur, this is actually quite a good, wide-ranging work, well written in spite of some occasionally odd usage of metaphor and digressions. It's not just about the plague but also considers the events of the couple of centuries leading up to Justinian, and within the reign of Justinian itself has such diversions as chapters about the construction of Hagia Sophia and the codification of law in the Institutes.

There are flaws however, often sins of omission rather than commission, for example as I recall off the top of my head:

- In discussing the Visigoths and their relationship to Rome, Rosen makes no mention whatsoever of the battle of the Frigidus in 394, which can be considered one of those turning points of history. The Visigoth army helped Theodosius defeat the usurper Eugenius, ensuring the continuation of Christian Rome, and Catholic at that, and the loss of 10,000 Visigoths, half their army, in the service of Rome, for little reward and still no homeland, certainly sowed the seeds of bitterness leading to the events of the early 5th century with Alaric and the sieges of Rome. To omit mention of this seems shockingly poor.

- When discussing the collapse of the first dome of Justinian's Hagia Sophia, Rosen does not mention that it was first weakened by an earthquake and then collapsed after a second quake. He seems to imply as a result that it simply collapsed of its own accord.

- In his biological discussion, he thinks that "metazoans" comprises all multicellular life - this is not the case, but rather corresponds roughly to what we call "animals".

Looming in the background are two theses, that
a) Rome and China went along parallel paths until the plague came to Rome, and
b) the plague is responsible for the creation of mediaeval Europe (by assisting in the permanent breakup of the West, and conquest of the East, Africa & Spain by the Arabs).

These theses seem somewhat debateable. Is Rosen implying that without the plague there might still today be some sort of gigantic political superpower covering Europe, North Africa and the Near East to match modern China? Seems unlikely to me. The ultimate causes of the lasting fragmentation of Rome were as much political, religious, military and 'racial' as medical.

Despite the flaws, this is a book worth reading.

Very good attempt, but does have flaws, 02 Jul 2008
The blurb inside the front cover says that Rosen used to be head of a publishing house, and this is his first book. Implication: he's not a professional historian. Looking at his notes at the back, his historical sources seem to be based largely around just a few works; Gibbon looms large, plus some of the other usual suspects like A. H. M. Jones and J. B. Bury. On the medical aspects of the plague, Google seems to have been his friend here.

Despite what on the face of it might seem the work of an amateur, this is actually quite a good, wide-ranging work, well written in spite of some occasionally odd usage of metaphor and digressions. It's not just about the plague but also considers the events of the couple of centuries leading up to Justinian, and within the reign of Justinian itself has such diversions as chapters about the construction of Hagia Sophia and the codification of law in the Institutes.

There are flaws however, often sins of omission rather than commission, for example as I recall off the top of my head:

- In discussing the Visigoths and their relationship to Rome, Rosen makes no mention whatsoever of the battle of the Frigidus in 394, which can be considered one of those turning points of history. The Visigoth army helped Theodosius defeat the usurper Eugenius, ensuring the continuation of Christian Rome, and Catholic at that, and the loss of 10,000 Visigoths, half their army, in the service of Rome, for little reward and still no homeland, certainly sowed the seeds of bitterness leading to the events of the early 5th century with Alaric and the sieges of Rome. To omit mention of this seems shockingly poor.

- When discussing the collapse of the first dome of Justinian's Hagia Sophia, Rosen does not mention that it was first weakened by an earthquake and then collapsed after a second quake. He seems to imply as a result that it simply collapsed of its own accord.

- In his biological discussion, he thinks that "metazoans" comprises all multicellular life - this is not the case, but rather corresponds roughly to what we call "animals".

Looming in the background are two theses, that
a) Rome and China went along parallel paths until the plague came to Rome, and
b) the plague is responsible for the creation of mediaeval Europe (by assisting in the permanent breakup of the West, and conquest of the East, Africa & Spain by the Arabs).

These theses seem somewhat debateable. Is Rosen implying that without the plague there might still today be some sort of gigantic political superpower covering Europe, North Africa and the Near East to match modern China? Seems unlikely to me. The ultimate causes of the lasting fragmentation of Rome were as much political, religious, military and 'racial' as medical.

Despite the flaws, this is a book worth reading.

Journalistic-Historical Report on Justinian's Reign and the Plague That Attacked Europe and the Middle East , 16 Jul 2007
Justinian's Flea tells you about the decay of the Roman Empire, its gradual drift towards its eastern limits, the rise of Justinian, Justinian's accomplishments in expanding the empire and developing culture, the rise of the Persian Empire, the Bubonic Plague that ravaged the Roman and Persian empires, and the challenges that the expansion of Islam brought for the Roman and Persian empires. Mr. Rosen uses that information to argue that independent European nations developed sooner than they might have otherwise due to the combined effects of the plague and Islamic military expansion.

Most people know about the Black Death (caused by Bubonic Plague) that devastated Europe in the Middle Ages. But fewer people know that the earlier sixth century version was even more deadly. The sixth century Bubonic Plague also returned in 15 to 20 year cycles, wiping out vast segments of the young people. While the overall loss of life was about one-third of the population from the first incidence alone, the effect on sailors and those who lived in close communities (such as monasteries) was even more dramatic . . . affecting commerce and learning for some time to come.

Mr. Rosen draws generously on the latest scientific research provide a meticulous account of how the plague came to have such wide effects. I thought that it was fascinating and provided many new thoughts about the disease risks of having temperatures fluctuate more than usual.

That material, however, doesn't occur until the second half of the book. Unless you always wanted to know more about the fall of the Roman Empire and Justinian, you may get more information than you planned on for that aspect of the book. That was certainly true in my case having studied Roman history and Justinian in detail before. However, I felt rewarded by Mr. Rosen's style of using examples from the last few decades to bring the ancient examples to life.

Mr. Rosen's main thesis isn't totally persuasive. Although Justinian's reign brought the Roman Empire to new heights of accomplishment, most emperors who preceded and followed him weren't worth much. No matter how strong a nation is, poor leadership will soon sap its strength. Consider how much the Vietnam war economically weakened the United States in the
1960s. Look at how much the invasion of Iraq has driven up oil prices. The Roman Empire was continually under attack from various groups of invaders. That would have continued. Military success under Justinian mainly depended on guile and genius . . . rather than having much force to spread around. Clearly, the plague made the empire weaker than it would have been. But it might well have reached that level just a few generations later anyway, especially since Justinian didn't do a very good job of providing for leadership continuity.

I also think that in comparing the Roman Empire to the Chinese empire Mr. Rosen is too quick to make the two as being similar without considering all of the cultural forces in favor of preserving unity and heritage in the Chinese civilization.

Historians are fond of saying that each generation needs to rewrite history to make it understandable based on its own experiences. I think that Justinian's Flea makes that case more profoundly . . . because rapid advances in science often mean that we can see history more accurately now than prior generations could. That's certainly the case for the sixth century plague.

If you just want to read about the plague, start on page 163 and stop on page 268.

Mr. Rosen isn't a traditional historian. He writes in too interesting a way to have come from that guild. I hope you'll enjoy his efforts as much as I did.

A pleasure to read, 09 Jul 2007
A most interesting point in history, beautifully detailed and superbly researched; if rather light on the intricasies of the political and demographic situation surrounding the fall of the Western Empire, with which it was so intertwined. Considering the profuse details which cast, to me at least, a vast light into the sad, slow submerging of the system Justininian thought he had built as a bastion against exterior and interior enemies, this is a but a personal interest being given. There are limits to what can be included without clogging a book in details of course, suffice to say that I found it a fascinating and highly informative book which was engrossing from cover to cover.

Enjoyable and educating, 07 Jun 2007
A great read, and full of interesting facts and figures.
Amazingly entertaining

An accessible classic, 02 May 2008
Having gone through the state education system, I came out of school completely uneducated about things like history and classic literature and I've been trying to rectify this omission for many years. This has resulted in me reading a lot of the classics line, and something I've realised is what hard work many of them are. As times change, so do writing styles and ideas of what makes a narrative work, and to the modern reader many books written hundreds of years past can be a challenging read.
This is why Josephus is such a pleasure. For all that we are separated from him by almost two thousand years, his humanity shines through. His history of the Jewish war against the Romans in the late 1st century AD is very much a history of his own activities therein, and what an unashamedly self-serving document it is. Originally a regional commander in the rebellious jewish army, Josephus wrote his history after his capture by the Romans and defection to their side (he became a Roman citizen and a courtier to more than one emperor). By turns witty, outrageously immodest and deceitful, Josephus wrote a hagiography of himself and his roman patrons and a tremendously enjoyable read it is too. By humanising his narrative, he also succeeds in making it accessible.

We have so few records of the ancient world it is impossible to be absolutely certain how accurate any given historical document is. However, as well as being enjoyable, the archaelogical and historical record suggests that when Josephus talks about the facts of the war (who won and fought who, where and when) he can be trusted in the broad sweep if not in the details.
It's a fascinating and human insight into the ancient world which shows that people, wherever and whenever they lived, are just as human - and as worried about their reputations - as are we.

Good translation, but referencing could be improved, 01 May 2004
As a translation of classical literature, the Penguin edition serves as a useful companion to any student of Josephus, or of the period of Roman control over Israel in the first pre-Christian and post-Christian centuries. It is the cheaper alternative to the expensive Loeb translation.

However, since most scholarship tends to use the Loeb referencing system, it would be useful if the Penguin edition has better cross-refencing with this system. This would make it far easier for the student to find the approriate passage in the Penguin, given a Loeb citation.

Almost perfect., 26 Jun 2004
This book is intended for everybody who is interested in byzantine history,(maybe for an early student of byzantium as well)but not for specialists.
Written in an academic language by Cyril Mango, i had some unknonwn words. The language of the other historians writing in the book is quite flawless. The book contains many information on both culture and military history of byzantium and is superbly illustrated(emphasis given to hagiographies). My rating is 5 stars for all above; but what made it a 5 and not a 4 is the sincerity of the writers as to religion(christianity). Patriarchs, priests and followers of christianity arent seen as holy persons(*Julius Norwich* for example did exactly the opposite in many cases); instead, they are judged in the same way as islamists or the pope or western christians are.
I find his objective judgement very important because, although we know that he killed his wife and his son, *some* try to hide these informations in order to remain 'perfect' in the eyes of followers. It's good when historians write history as it is, and not the way some would like it to be...

Mango shines, 25 Nov 2002
Excellent presentation, fantasic pictures, the clarity of the text was outstanding, all the authors are world renound experts in thier particular fields. The sections from Mango himself were a particular treat, brillianty written and as awlays he never assumes that the reader knows to much, or in some casese to little. The last section on the Paiologan dynasty, was as good, if not better than anything that Nicol could have written.The oxford history will once and for all cast off the shadow left by Gibbon. In short this is SUPERB. This is a book for specialists and those with only a passing intrest in the subject. BUY IT NOW

Wrong Translations, 23 Jun 2008
The story and history itself is great however this particular version of the book is filled with incorect translations with Liu Bei being Liu Pei, Cao Cao being Ts'ao Ts'ao and not only is pretty much every name slightly wrong but even items such as Kuan Yu's (properly translated Guan Yu's) weapon being refered to as the Black dragon when its the green dragon so dont let my review put you off the book just dont buy this edition

Beats Iliad, 03 Jul 2005
As a military history fan I picked up this book several months ago and I must say it's one of the best purchases I've ever made.

Romance of three kingdoms focus on arguably the most chaotic and ruthless period of the acient China (220-280 AD), shortly after the collapse of eastern Han dynasty, over a dozen warlords rose to power in the name of 'Restoration of Han', this book is based on three major power, Shu, Wei, Wu and their constant struggle for power. Instead on focusing on warfare itself, this book gives absolutely brilliant account on deceptions, trickery, use of intelligence, as well as cunning diplomatic solutions behind the warfares. Clearly, Sun Tzu's Art of war has infulenced the author greatly.

The only problem about the book is the character names, as the translated Chinese names seem to running to each other every two paragraphs, it takes alot of memorization. But if you have the patience, it will pay off soon.

However, some famous battles mentioned in this novel was not well chronicled, it's highly likely many historical details are simply made up. And the purpose of Shu is probably not as noble as the book portrayed. But as a novel, it's unparalleled.

Read, if you want to know what deception means.

China's best loved epic, 05 Apr 2005
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a fantastic story about the struggle of the Han empire. The first novel concentrates on the rise of the "Three Kingdoms" period, which begins life as a strategy for balancing power between the three main rivals. I use the word fantastic because the stories in this book were recorded by those who were there at the time, but they were also passed through word of mouth all around China. Therefore parts of the story are exaggerated and twisted in the telling (or writing). There are also spectacular observations of shamanistic type magic and very advanced healing methods, Hero's of epic proportions and might, and characters with very interesting traits. This book contains a great balance between an epic dialogue concerning the main protagonists and several short moral stories about specific characters. It also gives you a great sense of Chinese culture, the story being about the re-uniting of the three factions in order to re-form China.

ROTK, 09 Nov 2004
This review is looking at both books one and two as they are meant to be read together.These books are a good blend of History and Fiction. Focusing on the major powers in the 'Three Kingdoms' period, it looks mostly at the eponymous kingdoms, Wu, Shu and Wei. The fact that the novelist lived at the time is a mixed blessing. On one hand he has a keen insight into the events and the context surrounding them. Unfortunately, his early ancestors sided with Shu's leader Liu Bei (or Pei). The bias placed on the Shu characters can get a little grating at times and it places questions on the texts overall validity. However, it remains a good read and highlights an intruiging clash of ideologies, each faction representing one style of rule. You'll soon find yourself siding with one side or another, and when you do the books become difficult to put down.

One of the worlds oldest, and greatest novels, 29 Jul 2004
This is undoubtedly the greatest of all books. It focuses on three men who lived at the end of the China's Han dynasty and displays their struggle to prevent its downfall. It is very long, however is definitely worth the money and effort.

Good attempt, but does have flaws, 02 Jul 2008
The blurb inside the front cover says that Rosen used to be head of a publishing house, and this is his first book. Implication: he's not a professional historian. Looking at his notes at the back, his historical sources seem to be based largely around just a few works; Gibbon looms large, plus some of the other usual suspects like A. H. M. Jones and J. B. Bury. On the medical aspects of the plague, Google seems to have been his friend here.

Despite what on the face of it might seem the work of an amateur, this is actually quite a good, wide-ranging work, well written in spite of some occasionally odd usage of metaphor and digressions. It's not just about the plague but also considers the events of the couple of centuries leading up to Justinian, and within the reign of Justinian itself has such diversions as chapters about the construction of Hagia Sophia and the codification of law in the Institutes.

There are flaws however, often sins of omission rather than commission, for example as I recall off the top of my head:

- In discussing the Visigoths and their relationship to Rome, Rosen makes no mention whatsoever of the battle of the Frigidus in 394, which can be considered one of those turning points of history. The Visigoth army helped Theodosius defeat the usurper Eugenius, ensuring the continuation of Christian Rome, and Catholic at that, and the loss of 10,000 Visigoths, half their army, in the service of Rome, for little reward and still no homeland, certainly sowed the seeds of bitterness leading to the events of the early 5th century with Alaric and the sieges of Rome. To omit mention of this seems shockingly poor.

- When discussing the collapse of the first dome of Justinian's Hagia Sophia, Rosen does not mention that it was first weakened by an earthquake and then collapsed after a second quake. He seems to imply as a result that it simply collapsed of its own accord.

- In his biological discussion, he thinks that "metazoans" comprises all multicellular life - this is not the case, but rather corresponds roughly to what we call "animals".

Looming in the background are two theses, that
a) Rome and China went along parallel paths until the plague came to Rome, and
b) the plague is responsible for the creation of mediaeval Europe (by assisting in the permanent breakup of the West, and conquest of the East, Africa & Spain by the Arabs).

These theses seem somewhat debateable. Is Rosen implying that without the plague there might still today be some sort of gigantic political superpower covering Europe, North Africa and the Near East to match modern China? Seems unlikely to me. The ultimate causes of the lasting fragmentation of Rome were as much political, religious, military and 'racial' as medical.

Despite the flaws, this is a book worth reading.

Very good attempt, but does have flaws, 02 Jul 2008
The blurb inside the front cover says that Rosen used to be head of a publishing house, and this is his first book. Implication: he's not a professional historian. Looking at his notes at the back, his historical sources seem to be based largely around just a few works; Gibbon looms large, plus some of the other usual suspects like A. H. M. Jones and J. B. Bury. On the medical aspects of the plague, Google seems to have been his friend here.

Despite what on the face of it might seem the work of an amateur, this is actually quite a good, wide-ranging work, well written in spite of some occasionally odd usage of metaphor and digressions. It's not just about the plague but also considers the events of the couple of centuries leading up to Justinian, and within the reign of Justinian itself has such diversions as chapters about the construction of Hagia Sophia and the codification of law in the Institutes.

There are flaws however, often sins of omission rather than commission, for example as I recall off the top of my head:

- In discussing the Visigoths and their relationship to Rome, Rosen makes no mention whatsoever of the battle of the Frigidus in 394, which can be considered one of those turning points of history. The Visigoth army helped Theodosius defeat the usurper Eugenius, ensuring the continuation of Christian Rome, and Catholic at that, and the loss of 10,000 Visigoths, half their army, in the service of Rome, for little reward and still no homeland, certainly sowed the seeds of bitterness leading to the events of the early 5th century with Alaric and the sieges of Rome. To omit mention of this seems shockingly poor.

- When discussing the collapse of the first dome of Justinian's Hagia Sophia, Rosen does not mention that it was first weakened by an earthquake and then collapsed after a second quake. He seems to imply as a result that it simply collapsed of its own accord.

- In his biological discussion, he thinks that "metazoans" comprises all multicellular life - this is not the case, but rather corresponds roughly to what we call "animals".

Looming in the background are two theses, that
a) Rome and China went along parallel paths until the plague came to Rome, and
b) the plague is responsible for the creation of mediaeval Europe (by assisting in the permanent breakup of the West, and conquest of the East, Africa & Spain by the Arabs).

These theses seem somewhat debateable. Is Rosen implying that without the plague there might still today be some sort of gigantic political superpower covering Europe, North Africa and the Near East to match modern China? Seems unlikely to me. The ultimate causes of the lasting fragmentation of Rome were as much political, religious, military and 'racial' as medical.

Despite the flaws, this is a book worth reading.

Journalistic-Historical Report on Justinian's Reign and the Plague That Attacked Europe and the Middle East , 16 Jul 2007
Justinian's Flea tells you about the decay of the Roman Empire, its gradual drift towards its eastern limits, the rise of Justinian, Justinian's accomplishments in expanding the empire and developing culture, the rise of the Persian Empire, the Bubonic Plague that ravaged the Roman and Persian empires, and the challenges that the expansion of Islam brought for the Roman and Persian empires. Mr. Rosen uses that information to argue that independent European nations developed sooner than they might have otherwise due to the combined effects of the plague and Islamic military expansion.

Most people know about the Black Death (caused by Bubonic Plague) that devastated Europe in the Middle Ages. But fewer people know that the earlier sixth century version was even more deadly. The sixth century Bubonic Plague also returned in 15 to 20 year cycles, wiping out vast segments of the young people. While the overall loss of life was about one-third of the population from the first incidence alone, the effect on sailors and those who lived in close communities (such as monasteries) was even more dramatic . . . affecting commerce and learning for some time to come.

Mr. Rosen draws generously on the latest scientific research provide a meticulous account of how the plague came to have such wide effects. I thought that it was fascinating and provided many new thoughts about the disease risks of having temperatures fluctuate more than usual.

That material, however, doesn't occur until the second half of the book. Unless you always wanted to know more about the fall of the Roman Empire and Justinian, you may get more information than you planned on for that aspect of the book. That was certainly true in my case having studied Roman history and Justinian in detail before. However, I felt rewarded by Mr. Rosen's style of using examples from the last few decades to bring the ancient examples to life.

Mr. Rosen's main thesis isn't totally persuasive. Although Justinian's reign brought the Roman Empire to new heights of accomplishment, most emperors who preceded and followed him weren't worth much. No matter how strong a nation is, poor leadership will soon sap its strength. Consider how much the Vietnam war economically weakened the United States in the
1960s. Look at how much the invasion of Iraq has driven up oil prices. The Roman Empire was continually under attack from various groups of invaders. That would have continued. Military success under Justinian mainly depended on guile and genius . . . rather than having much force to spread around. Clearly, the plague made the empire weaker than it would have been. But it might well have reached that level just a few generations later anyway, especially since Justinian didn't do a very good job of providing for leadership continuity.

I also think that in comparing the Roman Empire to the Chinese empire Mr. Rosen is too quick to make the two as being similar without considering all of the cultural forces in favor of preserving unity and heritage in the Chinese civilization.

Historians are fond of saying that each generation needs to rewrite history to make it understandable based on its own experiences. I think that Justinian's Flea makes that case more profoundly . . . because rapid advances in science often mean that we can see history more accurately now than prior generations could. That's certainly the case for the sixth century plague.

If you just want to read about the plague, start on page 163 and stop on page 268.

Mr. Rosen isn't a traditional historian. He writes in too interesting a way to have come from that guild. I hope you'll enjoy his efforts as much as I did.

A pleasure to read, 09 Jul 2007
A most interesting point in history, beautifully detailed and superbly researched; if rather light on the intricasies of the political and demographic situation surrounding the fall of the Western Empire, with which it was so intertwined. Considering the profuse details which cast, to me at least, a vast light into the sad, slow submerging of the system Justininian thought he had built as a bastion against exterior and interior enemies, this is a but a personal interest being given. There are limits to what can be included without clogging a book in details of course, suffice to say that I found it a fascinating and highly informative book which was engrossing from cover to cover.

Enjoyable and educating, 07 Jun 2007
A great read, and full of interesting facts and figures.
Amazingly entertaining


Wrong Translations, 23 Jun 2008
The story and history itself is great however this particular version of the book is filled with incorect translations with Liu Bei being Liu Pei, Cao Cao being Ts'ao Ts'ao and not only is pretty much every name slightly wrong but even items such as Kuan Yu's (properly translated Guan Yu's) weapon being refered to as the Black dragon when its the green dragon so dont let my review put you off the book just dont buy this edition

Beats Iliad, 03 Jul 2005
As a military history fan I picked up this book several months ago and I must say it's one of the best purchases I've ever made.

Romance of three kingdoms focus on arguably the most chaotic and ruthless period of the acient China (220-280 AD), shortly after the collapse of eastern Han dynasty, over a dozen warlords rose to power in the name of 'Restoration of Han', this book is based on three major power, Shu, Wei, Wu and their constant struggle for power. Instead on focusing on warfare itself, this book gives absolutely brilliant account on deceptions, trickery, use of intelligence, as well as cunning diplomatic solutions behind the warfares. Clearly, Sun Tzu's Art of war has infulenced the author greatly.

The only problem about the book is the character names, as the translated Chinese names seem to running to each other every two paragraphs, it takes alot of memorization. But if you have the patience, it will pay off soon.

However, some famous battles mentioned in this novel was not well chronicled, it's highly likely many historical details are simply made up. And the purpose of Shu is probably not as noble as the book portrayed. But as a novel, it's unparalleled.

Read, if you want to know what deception means.

China's best loved epic, 05 Apr 2005
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a fantastic story about the struggle of the Han empire. The first novel concentrates on the rise of the "Three Kingdoms" period, which begins life as a strategy for balancing power between the three main rivals. I use the word fantastic because the stories in this book were recorded by those who were there at the time, but they were also passed through word of mouth all around China. Therefore parts of the story are exaggerated and twisted in the telling (or writing). There are also spectacular observations of shamanistic type magic and very advanced healing methods, Hero's of epic proportions and might, and characters with very interesting traits. This book contains a great balance between an epic dialogue concerning the main protagonists and several short moral stories about specific characters. It also gives you a great sense of Chinese culture, the story being about the re-uniting of the three factions in order to re-form China.

ROTK, 09 Nov 2004
This review is looking at both books one and two as they are meant to be read together.These books are a good blend of History and Fiction. Focusing on the major powers in the 'Three Kingdoms' period, it looks mostly at the eponymous kingdoms, Wu, Shu and Wei. The fact that the novelist lived at the time is a mixed blessing. On one hand he has a keen insight into the events and the context surrounding them. Unfortunately, his early ancestors sided with Shu's leader Liu Bei (or Pei). The bias placed on the Shu characters can get a little grating at times and it places questions on the texts overall validity. However, it remains a good read and highlights an intruiging clash of ideologies, each faction representing one style of rule. You'll soon find yourself siding with one side or another, and when you do the books become difficult to put down.

One of the worlds oldest, and greatest novels, 29 Jul 2004
This is undoubtedly the greatest of all books. It focuses on three men who lived at the end of the China's Han dynasty and displays their struggle to prevent its downfall. It is very long, however is definitely worth the money and effort.

An accessible classic, 02 May 2008
Having gone through the state education system, I came out of school completely uneducated about things like history and classic literature and I've been trying to rectify this omission for many years. This has resulted in me reading a lot of the classics line, and something I've realised is what hard work many of them are. As times change, so do writing styles and ideas of what makes a narrative work, and to the modern reader many books written hundreds of years past can be a challenging read.
This is why Josephus is such a pleasure. For all that we are separated from him by almost two thousand years, his humanity shines through. His history of the Jewish war against the Romans in the late 1st century AD is very much a history of his own activities therein, and what an unashamedly self-serving document it is. Originally a regional commander in the rebellious jewish army, Josephus wrote his history after his capture by the Romans and defection to their side (he became a Roman citizen and a courtier to more than one emperor). By turns witty, outrageously immodest and deceitful, Josephus wrote a hagiography of himself and his roman patrons and a tremendously enjoyable read it is too. By humanising his narrative, he also succeeds in making it accessible.

We have so few records of the ancient world it is impossible to be absolutely certain how accurate any given historical document is. However, as well as being enjoyable, the archaelogical and historical record suggests that when Josephus talks about the facts of the war (who won and fought who, where and when) he can be trusted in the broad sweep if not in the details.
It's a fascinating and human insight into the ancient world which shows that people, wherever and whenever they lived, are just as human - and as worried about their reputations - as are we.

Good translation, but referencing could be improved, 01 May 2004
As a translation of classical literature, the Penguin edition serves as a useful companion to any student of Josephus, or of the period of Roman control over Israel in the first pre-Christian and post-Christian centuries. It is the cheaper alternative to the expensive Loeb translation.

However, since most scholarship tends to use the Loeb referencing system, it would be useful if the Penguin edition has better cross-refencing with this system. This would make it far easier for the student to find the approriate passage in the Penguin, given a Loeb citation.

Almost perfect., 26 Jun 2004
This book is intended for everybody who is interested in byzantine history,(maybe for an early student of byzantium as well)but not for specialists.
Written in an academic language by Cyril Mango, i had some unknonwn words. The language of the other historians writing in the book is quite flawless. The book contains many information on both culture and military history of byzantium and is superbly illustrated(emphasis given to hagiographies). My rating is 5 stars for all above; but what made it a 5 and not a 4 is the sincerity of the writers as to religion(christianity). Patriarchs, priests and followers of christianity arent seen as holy persons(*Julius Norwich* for example did exactly the opposite in many cases); instead, they are judged in the same way as islamists or the pope or western christians are.
I find his objective judgement very important because, although we know that he killed his wife and his son, *some* try to hide these informations in order to remain 'perfect' in the eyes of followers. It's good when historians write history as it is, and not the way some would like it to be...

Mango shines, 25 Nov 2002
Excellent presentation, fantasic pictures, the clarity of the text was outstanding, all the authors are world renound experts in thier particular fields. The sections from Mango himself were a particular treat, brillianty written and as awlays he never assumes that the reader knows to much, or in some casese to little. The last section on the Paiologan dynasty, was as good, if not better than anything that Nicol could have written.The oxford history will once and for all cast off the shadow left by Gibbon. In short this is SUPERB. This is a book for specialists and those with only a passing intrest in the subject. BUY IT NOW

Wrong Translations, 23 Jun 2008
The story and history itself is great however this particular version of the book is filled with incorect translations with Liu Bei being Liu Pei, Cao Cao being Ts'ao Ts'ao and not only is pretty much every name slightly wrong but even items such as Kuan Yu's (properly translated Guan Yu's) weapon being refered to as the Black dragon when its the green dragon so dont let my review put you off the book just dont buy this edition

Beats Iliad, 03 Jul 2005
As a military history fan I picked up this book several months ago and I must say it's one of the best purchases I've ever made.

Romance of three kingdoms focus on arguably the most chaotic and ruthless period of the acient China (220-280 AD), shortly after the collapse of eastern Han dynasty, over a dozen warlords rose to power in the name of 'Restoration of Han', this book is based on three major power, Shu, Wei, Wu and their constant struggle for power. Instead on focusing on warfare itself, this book gives absolutely brilliant account on deceptions, trickery, use of intelligence, as well as cunning diplomatic solutions behind the warfares. Clearly, Sun Tzu's Art of war has infulenced the author greatly.

The only problem about the book is the character names, as the translated Chinese names seem to running to each other every two paragraphs, it takes alot of memorization. But if you have the patience, it will pay off soon.

However, some famous battles mentioned in this novel was not well chronicled, it's highly likely many historical details are simply made up. And the purpose of Shu is probably not as noble as the book portrayed. But as a novel, it's unparalleled.

Read, if you want to know what deception means.

China's best loved epic, 05 Apr 2005
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a fantastic story about the struggle of the Han empire. The first novel concentrates on the rise of the "Three Kingdoms" period, which begins life as a strategy for balancing power between the three main rivals. I use the word fantastic because the stories in this book were recorded by those who were there at the time, but they were also passed through word of mouth all around China. Therefore parts of the story are exaggerated and twisted in the telling (or writing). There are also spectacular observations of shamanistic type magic and very advanced healing methods, Hero's of epic proportions and might, and characters with very interesting traits. This book contains a great balance between an epic dialogue concerning the main protagonists and several short moral stories about specific characters. It also gives you a great sense of Chinese culture, the story being about the re-uniting of the three factions in order to re-form China.

ROTK, 09 Nov 2004
This review is looking at both books one and two as they are meant to be read together.These books are a good blend of History and Fiction. Focusing on the major powers in the 'Three Kingdoms' period, it looks mostly at the eponymous kingdoms, Wu, Shu and Wei. The fact that the novelist lived at the time is a mixed blessing. On one hand he has a keen insight into the events and the context surrounding them. Unfortunately, his early ancestors sided with Shu's leader Liu Bei (or Pei). The bias placed on the Shu characters can get a little grating at times and it places questions on the texts overall validity. However, it remains a good read and highlights an intruiging clash of ideologies, each faction representing one style of rule. You'll soon find yourself siding with one side or another, and when you do the books become difficult to put down.

One of the worlds oldest, and greatest novels, 29 Jul 2004
This is undoubtedly the greatest of all books. It focuses on three men who lived at the end of the China's Han dynasty and displays their struggle to prevent its downfall. It is very long, however is definitely worth the money and effort.

Good attempt, but does have flaws, 02 Jul 2008
The blurb inside the front cover says that Rosen used to be head of a publishing house, and this is his first book. Implication: he's not a professional historian. Looking at his notes at the back, his historical sources seem to be based largely around just a few works; Gibbon looms large, plus some of the other usual suspects like A. H. M. Jones and J. B. Bury. On the medical aspects of the plague, Google seems to have been his friend here.

Despite what on the face of it might seem the work of an amateur, this is actually quite a good, wide-ranging work, well written in spite of some occasionally odd usage of metaphor and digressions. It's not just about the plague but also considers the events of the couple of centuries leading up to Justinian, and within the reign of Justinian itself has such diversions as chapters about the construction of Hagia Sophia and the codification of law in the Institutes.

There are flaws however, often sins of omission rather than commission, for example as I recall off the top of my head:

- In discussing the Visigoths and their relationship to Rome, Rosen makes no mention whatsoever of the battle of the Frigidus in 394, which can be considered one of those turning points of history. The Visigoth army helped Theodosius defeat the usurper Eugenius, ensuring the continuation of Christian Rome, and Catholic at that, and the loss of 10,000 Visigoths, half their army, in the service of Rome, for little reward and still no homeland, certainly sowed the seeds of bitterness leading to the events of the early 5th century with Alaric and the sieges of Rome. To omit mention of this seems shockingly poor.

- When discussing the collapse of the first dome of Justinian's Hagia Sophia, Rosen does not mention that it was first weakened by an earthquake and then collapsed after a second quake. He seems to imply as a result that it simply collapsed of its own accord.

- In his biological discussion, he thinks that "metazoans" comprises all multicellular life - this is not the case, but rather corresponds roughly to what we call "animals".

Looming in the background are two theses, that
a) Rome and China went along parallel paths until the plague came to Rome, and
b) the plague is responsible for the creation of mediaeval Europe (by assisting in the permanent breakup of the West, and conquest of the East, Africa & Spain by the Arabs).

These theses seem somewhat debateable. Is Rosen implying that without the plague there might still today be some sort of gigantic political superpower covering Europe, North Africa and the Near East to match modern China? Seems unlikely to me. The ultimate causes of the lasting fragmentation of Rome were as much political, religious, military and 'racial' as medical.

Despite the flaws, this is a book worth reading.

Very good attempt, but does have flaws, 02 Jul 2008
The blurb inside the front cover says that Rosen used to be head of a publishing house, and this is his first book. Implication: he's not a professional historian. Looking at his notes at the back, his historical sources seem to be based largely around just a few works; Gibbon looms large, plus some of the other usual suspects like A. H. M. Jones and J. B. Bury. On the medical aspects of the plague, Google seems to have been his friend here.

Despite what on the face of it might seem the work of an amateur, this is actually quite a good, wide-ranging work, well written in spite of some occasionally odd usage of metaphor and digressions. It's not just about the plague but also considers the events of the couple of centuries leading up to Justinian, and within the reign of Justinian itself has such diversions as chapters about the construction of Hagia Sophia and the codification of law in the Institutes.

There are flaws however, often sins of omission rather than commission, for example as I recall off the top of my head:

- In discussing the Visigoths and their relationship to Rome, Rosen makes no mention whatsoever of the battle of the Frigidus in 394, which can be considered one of those turning points of history. The Visigoth army helped Theodosius defeat the usurper Eugenius, ensuring the continuation of Christian Rome, and Catholic at that, and the loss of 10,000 Visigoths, half their army, in the service of Rome, for little reward and still no homeland, certainly sowed the seeds of bitterness leading to the events of the early 5th century with Alaric and the sieges of Rome. To omit mention of this seems shockingly poor.

- When discussing the collapse of the first dome of Justinian's Hagia Sophia, Rosen does not mention that it was first weakened by an earthquake and then collapsed after a second quake. He seems to imply as a result that it simply collapsed of its own accord.

- In his biological discussion, he thinks that "metazoans" comprises all multicellular life - this is not the case, but rather corresponds roughly to what we call "animals".

Looming in the background are two theses, that
a) Rome and China went along parallel paths until the plague came to Rome, and
b) the plague is responsible for the creation of mediaeval Europe (by assisting in the permanent breakup of the West, and conquest of the East, Africa & Spain by the Arabs).

These theses seem somewhat debateable. Is Rosen implying that without the plague there might still today be some sort of gigantic political superpower covering Europe, North Africa and the Near East to match modern China? Seems unlikely to me. The ultimate causes of the lasting fragmentation of Rome were as much political, religious, military and 'racial' as medical.

Despite the flaws, this is a book worth reading.

Journalistic-Historical Report on Justinian's Reign and the Plague That Attacked Europe and the Middle East , 16 Jul 2007
Justinian's Flea tells you about the decay of the Roman Empire, its gradual drift towards its eastern limits, the rise of Justinian, Justinian's accomplishments in expanding the empire and developing culture, the rise of the Persian Empire, the Bubonic Plague that ravaged the Roman and Persian empires, and the challenges that the expansion of Islam brought for the Roman and Persian empires. Mr. Rosen uses that information to argue that independent European nations developed sooner than they might have otherwise due to the combined effects of the plague and Islamic military expansion.

Most people know about the Black Death (caused by Bubonic Plague) that devastated Europe in the Middle Ages. But fewer people know that the earlier sixth century version was even more deadly. The sixth century Bubonic Plague also returned in 15 to 20 year cycles, wiping out vast segments of the young people. While the overall loss of life was about one-third of the population from the first incidence alone, the effect on sailors and those who lived in close communities (such as monasteries) was even more dramatic . . . affecting commerce and learning for some time to come.

Mr. Rosen draws generously on the latest scientific research provide a meticulous account of how the plague came to have such wide effects. I thought that it was fascinating and provided many new thoughts about the disease risks of having temperatures fluctuate more than usual.

That material, however, doesn't occur until the second half of the book. Unless you always wanted to know more about the fall of the Roman Empire and Justinian, you may get more information than you planned on for that aspect of the book. That was certainly true in my case having studied Roman history and Justinian in detail before. However, I felt rewarded by Mr. Rosen's style of using examples from the last few decades to bring the ancient examples to life.

Mr. Rosen's main thesis isn't totally persuasive. Although Justinian's reign brought the Roman Empire to new heights of accomplishment, most emperors who preceded and followed him weren't worth much. No matter how strong a nation is, poor leadership will soon sap its strength. Consider how much the Vietnam war economically weakened the United States in the
1960s. Look at how much the invasion of Iraq has driven up oil prices. The Roman Empire was continually under attack from various groups of invaders. That would have continued. Military success under Justinian mainly depended on guile and genius . . . rather than having much force to spread around. Clearly, the plague made the empire weaker than it would have been. But it might well have reached that level just a few generations later anyway, especially since Justinian didn't do a very good job of providing for leadership continuity.

I also think that in comparing the Roman Empire to the Chinese empire Mr. Rosen is too quick to make the two as being similar without considering all of the cultural forces in favor of preserving unity and heritage in the Chinese civilization.

Historians are fond of saying that each generation needs to rewrite history to make it understandable based on its own experiences. I think that Justinian's Flea makes that case more profoundly . . . because rapid advances in science often mean that we can see history more accurately now than prior generations could. That's certainly the case for the sixth century plague.

If you just want to read about the plague, start on page 163 and stop on page 268.

Mr. Rosen isn't a traditional historian. He writes in too interesting a way to have come from that guild. I hope you'll enjoy his efforts as much as I did.

A pleasure to read, 09 Jul 2007
A most interesting point in history, beautifully detailed and superbly researched; if rather light on the intricasies of the political and demographic situation surrounding the fall of the Western Empire, with which it was so intertwined. Considering the profuse details which cast, to me at least, a vast light into the sad, slow submerging of the system Justininian thought he had built as a bastion against exterior and interior enemies, this is a but a personal interest being given. There are limits to what can be included without clogging a book in details of course, suffice to say that I found it a fascinating and highly informative book which was engrossing from cover to cover.

Enjoyable and educating, 07 Jun 2007
A great read, and full of interesting facts and figures.
Amazingly entertaining


Wrong Translations, 23 Jun 2008
The story and history itself is great however this particular version of the book is filled with incorect translations with Liu Bei being Liu Pei, Cao Cao being Ts'ao Ts'ao and not only is pretty much every name slightly wrong but even items such as Kuan Yu's (properly translated Guan Yu's) weapon being refered to as the Black dragon when its the green dragon so dont let my review put you off the book just dont buy this edition

Beats Iliad, 03 Jul 2005
As a military history fan I picked up this book several months ago and I must say it's one of the best purchases I've ever made.

Romance of three kingdoms focus on arguably the most chaotic and ruthless period of the acient China (220-280 AD), shortly after the collapse of eastern Han dynasty, over a dozen warlords rose to power in the name of 'Restoration of Han', this book is based on three major power, Shu, Wei, Wu and their constant struggle for power. Instead on focusing on warfare itself, this book gives absolutely brilliant account on deceptions, trickery, use of intelligence, as well as cunning diplomatic solutions behind the warfares. Clearly, Sun Tzu's Art of war has infulenced the author greatly.

The only problem about the book is the character names, as the translated Chinese names seem to running to each other every two paragraphs, it takes alot of memorization. But if you have the patience, it will pay off soon.

However, some famous battles mentioned in this novel was not well chronicled, it's highly likely many historical details are simply made up. And the purpose of Shu is probably not as noble as the book portrayed. But as a novel, it's unparalleled.

Read, if you want to know what deception means.

China's best loved epic, 05 Apr 2005
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a fantastic story about the struggle of the Han empire. The first novel concentrates on the rise of the "Three Kingdoms" period, which begins life as a strategy for balancing power between the three main rivals. I use the word fantastic because the stories in this book were recorded by those who were there at the time, but they were also passed through word of mouth all around China. Therefore parts of the story are exaggerated and twisted in the telling (or writing). There are also spectacular observations of shamanistic type magic and very advanced healing methods, Hero's of epic proportions and might, and characters with very interesting traits. This book contains a great balance between an epic dialogue concerning the main protagonists and several short moral stories about specific characters. It also gives you a great sense of Chinese culture, the story being about the re-uniting of the three factions in order to re-form China.

ROTK, 09 Nov 2004
This review is looking at both books one and two as they are meant to be read together.These books are a good blend of History and Fiction. Focusing on the major powers in the 'Three Kingdoms' period, it looks mostly at the eponymous kingdoms, Wu, Shu and Wei. The fact that the novelist lived at the time is a mixed blessing. On one hand he has a keen insight into the events and the context surrounding them. Unfortunately, his early ancestors sided with Shu's leader Liu Bei (or Pei). The bias placed on the Shu characters can get a little grating at times and it places questions on the texts overall validity. However, it remains a good read and highlights an intruiging clash of ideologies, each faction representing one style of rule. You'll soon find yourself siding with one side or another, and when you do the books become difficult to put down.

One of the worlds oldest, and greatest novels, 29 Jul 2004
This is undoubtedly the greatest of all books. It focuses on three men who lived at the end of the China's Han dynasty and displays their struggle to prevent its downfall. It is very long, however is definitely worth the money and effort.

good book, 30 Dec 2008
I wanted to learn a bit about Mesopotamia, so I chose this book because of the positite reviews. I'm glad I did! I'm not an academic, curious about history would be an accurate destription. Heavy going at times but well worth the effort in the end.

Scholarly but accessible, 09 Oct 2005
Now in its 3rd edition, Ancient Iraq remains the most complete and readable overview of the history of this cradle of civilization. Interestingly, the word Iraq comes from the name of the Sumerian city state Uruk. There is now a village called Warka near the ruins of the ancient city.

The introductory chapters explore the geographical setting, archaeological research and the paleo-, meso- and neolithic periods. Following on, the author discusses the Hassuna, Samarra, Halat, Ubaid, Uruk and Jemdat timeframes, and the ancient trade routes.

Next up is the Sumerian civilization, with a study of its origin, religion, history and mythology. The story of Gilgamesh is covered here. There was a Semitic interlude and a final Sumerian renaissance before the torch of history passed to the Semites in the form of the Akkadians and later the Assyrians and Babylonians. The statesman and lawgiver Hammurabbi is thoroughly dealt with.

But other peoples played a part too, like the Hurrians, Mitannians and Kassites. Insofar as they impacted upon the history of the area, empires like the Hittite and the Egyptian are also considered. There are detailed narratives on the Assyrian empire, the Chaldean kings and the fall of Nineveh and later of Babylon. After this event, Mesopotamia ceased to be a seat of empire and passed from the Persians to the Greeks, the Parthians, the Sassanids and ultimately to the Arabs.

In the Epilogue, we learn of the heritage of this civilization, such as enduring religious symbols like the Maltese cross, the tree of life an the crescent. Some words have come down to us, like "alcohol" (guhlu in Akkadian), "myrrh" (murru) and "naphta" (naptu), "abyss" (abzu in Sumerian). Some Sumerian words still live in Hebrew, like Egal (great house) = Heikal = Temple and the personal name Eitan (Etana).

The book contains plates with photographs and illustrations, and concludes with bibliographic notes, comparative history tables, various interesting maps and indices of names and subjects. For those interested in the paleolithic origins of civilization, I recommend Lost Civilizations Of The Stone Age by Richard Rudgley. If you have a taste for alternative history, the book Ramses II And His Time by Immanuel Velikovsky has much to say about Babylon and the Chaldeans. And finally, Empires Of The Word: A Language History Of The World by Nicholas Ostler, deals extensively with ancient Mesopotamia, its languages, culture and empires.

Excellent book, 'heavy' and academic too!!, 25 Jun 2005
This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to really understand the very beginnings of settled culture and civilisations. It is a serious and academic book, but the author Georges Roux is also interested in putting across heavy and well-researched material to 'lay' people as well as more learned academics.

I am personally obsessed with early civilisations and the more I read and understand, the more I am held in awe by our ancestors. This book is a great introduction to what can be a veritable wealth and minefield of information, and is also something that would give people a taste for other branches of ancient history, such as the study of other ancient cultures, archaeology, the trade and 'intercourse' between great and ancient civilisations, and so on. All in all, a very good book!

A Comprehensive Read, 10 Feb 2004
After reading many general histories of Mesopotamia, I found George Roux's Ancient Iraq the most useful and comprehensive. Rather than give an overall view of everyday life in the region (letters, city plans and religion), Roux chooses to concentrate on the spread of cultural influences, and importantly, the military victories and defeats of the kings and rulers of the city states. This may sound like a heavy read, but Roux throws in some humour ('Gungunnum', a king who Roux points out sounds like the sound of a beating battle drum). Politics is the key word here, and Roux does a superb job. Read it like a novel, and get ready for the rise and fall of the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians and Assyrians. Even the Assyrian conquest of Egypt gets a mention. If you are after a lighter read try Gwendolyn Leick's 'Mesopotamia: The Invention of the City'.
Overall you will not find a book quite as removed from the rest than you will this one.

Informed, easy to read - the best general account, 10 Mar 2001
Georges Roux, who died recently at a good old age, was a remarkable man. He was an Anglophile French doctor who worked in Iraq many years ago for an international oil company. While in Iraq and later, he was fascinated by the epic history of the Mesopotamian civilizations that succeeded one another over three thousand years. As a non-specialist, he appreciates the difficulties of the ordinary reader when confronted with a subject whose ancient history, languages, literature and archaeology are all difficult, specialist fields. He wrote the book for Penguin Books in English from the outset, and since it sold very well Penguin came back to him for revised editions. He had a great range of contacts, and his revisions were first-class. The last revised edition is up to date to the time of the Gulf War, since when there has been no further archaeological work in Iraq. I read this book when it first came out. I teach the subject at university level, and I have always recommended it as an excellent and thorough introduction. It reads very well, and contains a wealth of information that is put over with great clarity. People to whom I have recommended it have come back and told me how good a book they think it is.

An accessible classic, 02 May 2008
Having gone through the state education system, I came out of school completely uneducated about things like history and classic literature and I've been trying to rectify this omission for many years. This has resulted in me reading a lot of the classics line, and something I've realised is what hard work many of them are. As times change, so do writing styles and ideas of what makes a narrative work, and to the modern reader many books written hundreds of years past can be a challenging read.
This is why Josephus is such a pleasure. For all that we are separated from him by almost two thousand years, his humanity shines through. His history of the Jewish war against the Romans in the late 1st century AD is very much a history of his own activities therein, and what an unashamedly self-serving document it is. Originally a regional commander in the rebellious jewish army, Josephus wrote his history after his capture by the Romans and defection to their side (he became a Roman citizen and a courtier to more than one emperor). By turns witty, outrageously immodest and deceitful, Josephus wrote a hagiography of himself and his roman patrons and a tremendously enjoyable read it is too. By humanising his narrative, he also succeeds in making it accessible.

We have so few records of the ancient world it is impossible to be absolutely certain how accurate any given historical document is. However, as well as being enjoyable, the archaelogical and historical record suggests that when Josephus talks about the facts of the war (who won and fought who, where and when) he can be trusted in the broad sweep if not in the details.
It's a fascinating and human insight into the ancient world which shows that people, wherever and whenever they lived, are just as human - and as worried about their reputations - as are we.

Good translation, but referencing could be improved, 01 May 2004
As a translation of classical literature, the Penguin edition serves as a useful companion to any student of Josephus, or of the period of Roman control over Israel in the first pre-Christian and post-Christian centuries. It is the cheaper alternative to the expensive Loeb translation.

However, since most scholarship tends to use the Loeb referencing system, it would be useful if the Penguin edition has better cross-refencing with this system. This would make it far easier for the student to find the approriate passage in the Penguin, given a Loeb citation.

Almost perfect., 26 Jun 2004
This book is intended for everybody who is interested in byzantine history,(maybe for an early student of byzantium as well)but not for specialists.
Written in an academic language by Cyril Mango, i had some unknonwn words. The language of the other historians writing in the book is quite flawless. The book contains many information on both culture and military history of byzantium and is superbly illustrated(emphasis given to hagiographies). My rating is 5 stars for all above; but what made it a 5 and not a 4 is the sincerity of the writers as to religion(christianity). Patriarchs, priests and followers of christianity arent seen as holy persons(*Julius Norwich* for example did exactly the opposite in many cases); instead, they are judged in the same way as islamists or the pope or western christians are.
I find his objective judgement very important because, although we know that he killed his wife and his son, *some* try to hide these informations in order to remain 'perfect' in the eyes of followers. It's good when historians write history as it is, and not the way some would like it to be...

Mango shines, 25 Nov 2002
Excellent presentation, fantasic pictures, the clarity of the text was outstanding, all the authors are world renound experts in thier particular fields. The sections from Mango himself were a particular treat, brillianty written and as awlays he never assumes that the reader knows to much, or in some casese to little. The last section on the Paiologan dynasty, was as good, if not better than anything that Nicol could have written.The oxford history will once and for all cast off the shadow left by Gibbon. In short this is SUPERB. This is a book for specialists and those with only a passing intrest in the subject. BUY IT NOW

Wrong Translations, 23 Jun 2008
The story and history itself is great however this particular version of the book is filled with incorect translations with Liu Bei being Liu Pei, Cao Cao being Ts'ao Ts'ao and not only is pretty much every name slightly wrong but even items such as Kuan Yu's (properly translated Guan Yu's) weapon being refered to as the Black dragon when its the green dragon so dont let my review put you off the book just dont buy this edition

Beats Iliad, 03 Jul 2005
As a military history fan I picked up this book several months ago and I must say it's one of the best purchases I've ever made.

Romance of three kingdoms focus on arguably the most chaotic and ruthless period of the acient China (220-280 AD), shortly after the collapse of eastern Han dynasty, over a dozen warlords rose to power in the name of 'Restoration of Han', this book is based on three major power, Shu, Wei, Wu and their constant struggle for power. Instead on focusing on warfare itself, this book gives absolutely brilliant account on deceptions, trickery, use of intelligence, as well as cunning diplomatic solutions behind the warfares. Clearly, Sun Tzu's Art of war has infulenced the author greatly.

The only problem about the book is the character names, as the translated Chinese names seem to running to each other every two paragraphs, it takes alot of memorization. But if you have the patience, it will pay off soon.

However, some famous battles mentioned in this novel was not well chronicled, it's highly likely many historical details are simply made up. And the purpose of Shu is probably not as noble as the book portrayed. But as a novel, it's unparalleled.

Read, if you want to know what deception means.

China's best loved epic, 05 Apr 2005
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a fantastic story about the struggle of the Han empire. The first novel concentrates on the rise of the "Three Kingdoms" period, which begins life as a strategy for balancing power between the three main rivals. I use the word fantastic because the stories in this book were recorded by those who were there at the time, but they were also passed through word of mouth all around China. Therefore parts of the story are exaggerated and twisted in the telling (or writing). There are also spectacular observations of shamanistic type magic and very advanced healing methods, Hero's of epic proportions and might, and characters with very interesting traits. This book contains a great balance between an epic dialogue concerning the main protagonists and several short moral stories about specific characters. It also gives you a great sense of Chinese culture, the story being about the re-uniting of the three factions in order to re-form China.

ROTK, 09 Nov 2004
This review is looking at both books one and two as they are meant to be read together.These books are a good blend of History and Fiction. Focusing on the major powers in the 'Three Kingdoms' period, it looks mostly at the eponymous kingdoms, Wu, Shu and Wei. The fact that the novelist lived at the time is a mixed blessing. On one hand he has a keen insight into the events and the context surrounding them. Unfortunately, his early ancestors sided with Shu's leader Liu Bei (or Pei). The bias placed on the Shu characters can get a little grating at times and it places questions on the texts overall validity. However, it remains a good read and highlights an intruiging clash of ideologies, each faction representing one style of rule. You'll soon find yourself siding with one side or another, and when you do the books become difficult to put down.

One of the worlds oldest, and greatest novels, 29 Jul 2004
This is undoubtedly the greatest of all books. It focuses on three men who lived at the end of the China's Han dynasty and displays their struggle to prevent its downfall. It is very long, however is definitely worth the money and effort.

Good attempt, but does have flaws, 02 Jul 2008
The blurb inside the front cover says that Rosen used to be head of a publishing house, and this is his first book. Implication: he's not a professional historian. Looking at his notes at the back, his historical sources seem to be based largely around just a few works; Gibbon looms large, plus some of the other usual suspects like A. H. M. Jones and J. B. Bury. On the medical aspects of the plague, Google seems to have been his friend here.

Despite what on the face of it might seem the work of an amateur, this is actually quite a good, wide-ranging work, well written in spite of some occasionally odd usage of metaphor and digressions. It's not just about the plague but also considers the events of the couple of centuries leading up to Justinian, and within the reign of Justinian itself has such diversions as chapters about the construction of Hagia Sophia and the codification of law in the Institutes.

There are flaws however, often sins of omission rather than commission, for example as I recall off the top of my head:

- In discussing the Visigoths and their relationship to Rome, Rosen makes no mention whatsoever of the battle of the Frigidus in 394, which can be considered one of those turning points of history. The Visigoth army helped Theodosius defeat the usurper Eugenius, ensuring the continuation of Christian Rome, and Catholic at that, and the loss of 10,000 Visigoths, half their army, in the service of Rome, for little reward and still no homeland, certainly sowed the seeds of bitterness leading to the events of the early 5th century with Alaric and the sieges of Rome. To omit mention of