The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization.(Book review)

Historian, The, December, 2006 by Wells, Peter S.

The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization. By Bryan Ward-Perkins. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Pp. viii, 229. $30.00.)

This book examines what happened after the Roman Empire came to an end. The author summarizes two divergent views. First, the empire in the West collapsed, in large part because of barbarian invasions; second, a long period of change (from the third to the eighth century) should be understood in terms of "transition" and "transformation" rather than "decline" and "fall." Bryan Ward-Perkins makes clear that his purpose is to demonstrate that the end of the empire in the West was indeed a collapse and that life changed profoundly for the inhabitants of the affected lands. His discussion touches on all parts of the empire and on...

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