The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome (Hist Atlas)

This short book is an excellent introduction to Roman history. It is divided into easy to digest chapters which deal with a single theme.

The atlas is not that large. I bought four similar atlases all from Penguin and they are all thin books (Atlases are supposed to be hugh. However this (and the other 3 books) do contain loads of information. The book skims over the Republican era. The first map at page 22 and by page 32 the Republic is over. The book has only a few maps of the expansion of Rome within Italy (hardly a mention of the Samnites, or Sabines;... Read Full Review

I think I found answers to all I've ever wanted to know about the Roman Empire. This book is certainly readable by anyone. If you don't like reading long texts, this book is perfect. If you do like longer texts, this book is also nice. The balance between pictures and texts is optimal in my opinion.

An excellent little booklet on ancient Rome starting from the initial stages as a city state right up to the decline and fall after 378 AD or so. A superb reference book simply because of its small size and quick clear illustrations with maps and diagrams which display important information extremely well, even the little known fact that Chinese ambassadors visited Rome in the age of Marcus Aurelius is fascinating. The book... Read Full Review

With several dozen books on my shelf regarding Ancient Rome, I often need something akin to an index for all of their combined knowledge: a few paragraphs, a map, or a photo will have me scurrying to the appropriate text (or, of late, an internet link).Of note are the numerous Roman city maps, showing walls, aqueducts, forts, temples, etc. relative to the natural geography.