I had looked forward to receiving this book eagerly and in no way did it disappoint. Scarre's analysis goes into intricate depth and his ability to question the biases of some of the historians of the day is something which he can take real credit for.
Starting with Augustus, you journey through the ups and downs of the Roman Empire in startling detail, comprehensive accounts are given of each Emperor and dynasty, right through to the 5th century AD.
From this we are easily able to understand each Emperor at an individual level. Those that greatly forwarded the fortunes of the empire, the forgotten Emperors who ruled only briefly as well as the monsters and megalomaniacs!
I found this to be a thoroughly informative and gripping account.