After losing the book in an apartment the size of a thimble and, after some effort, re-finding it in this hellhole, I managed to give it a look-over! It’s more accessible than I remember, even. Very friendly, even if your only background is reading a beginner’s guide to Roman history or the like. Detailed, yes, but with explanations of any context that would be unfamiliar to your average layman.
Awesome, that sounds like I’d enjoy checking it out (and not just because if I didn’t, I’d feel bad about the effort you put into finding it)
Tangentially related: It’s unfortunate and possibly ironic that the people who would most benefit from learning some history are often ill-equipped with the skills needed to study history. My late best friend was a historian, and as a scientist, something I cherished in our friendship was the insight into the historian’s perspective. It felt like a jarringly different way of viewing the world, but that’s why it felt useful. He’d probably feel proud (and a little smug) to see that my interest in history has lasted even though he wasn’t here to feed it.
I was going to say yes, but let me find it so I can reread a chapter or two and be sure. It’s not for beginners, but if you’re looking into niches like the question of ideology and regional loyalty, it reasonably presumes that you know what the Roman Empire is and its basic aspects.
Is the book you recommend accessible to non-historians?
After losing the book in an apartment the size of a thimble and, after some effort, re-finding it in this hellhole, I managed to give it a look-over! It’s more accessible than I remember, even. Very friendly, even if your only background is reading a beginner’s guide to Roman history or the like. Detailed, yes, but with explanations of any context that would be unfamiliar to your average layman.
Awesome, that sounds like I’d enjoy checking it out (and not just because if I didn’t, I’d feel bad about the effort you put into finding it)
Tangentially related: It’s unfortunate and possibly ironic that the people who would most benefit from learning some history are often ill-equipped with the skills needed to study history. My late best friend was a historian, and as a scientist, something I cherished in our friendship was the insight into the historian’s perspective. It felt like a jarringly different way of viewing the world, but that’s why it felt useful. He’d probably feel proud (and a little smug) to see that my interest in history has lasted even though he wasn’t here to feed it.
I was going to say yes, but let me find it so I can reread a chapter or two and be sure. It’s not for beginners, but if you’re looking into niches like the question of ideology and regional loyalty, it reasonably presumes that you know what the Roman Empire is and its basic aspects.