Recommendations

This page is where I will recommend books, movies, DVDs or pretty much anything else that is connected in some way with the history of late ancient and early Dark Ages Rome, as well as anything that looks at current events from the angle of late ancient and early medieval Roman history or historical motivations.

If you wish to learn more about medieval Rome and its impact on your life, History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages (Italica Press, 3 volumes) by Ferdinand Gregorovius is the book to start with. Here and there, this work needs amendments, but that does not diminish in any way its value. Gregorovius' epic story is readable, highly informative and very enjoyable. The author succeeded magnificently in his intention to narrate artistically the results of his scholarly research.

The world is flooded with DVDs about the architectural and artistic marvels of Italy. This one stands out because of its well balanced treatment of the sites covered.The author, Tullio Polidori, managed to deliver the right amount of information for each topic. When the DVD was over, my friends and I could not believe that 1h 47min had passed. I have watched it several times up to now and I am sure I will watch it again in the future. The temple standing in front of Santa Maria in Cosmedin is that of Hercules, not of Vesta. The narration is provided in 8 languages. As to the background music, it is a perfect match to the narration and the sites presented. This excellent DVD is available at T.P.E. Editore di Tullio Polidori, Piazza di S. Maria alle Fornaci, 23; 00165 Roma Telephone: 06 39375781 Email: tpe.editore@libero.it

Gatto's History of Medieval Rome is the first attempt to cover this period since Gregorovius published his work more than 130 years ago. It has not been translated into English, to the best of my knowledge. It is a superb book, loaded with information and new insights. The index is limited to names of people. I hope someone will translate it into English and create the index it deserves.

Interested in books that illustrate the fundamental role of motivation in history? Amy Chua's World On Fire is that kind of opus, although her intention was more to examine the effects of globalization on ethnic rivalry and instability in the world. Just read these lines from page 248: 'The reaction of the Brazilians to the attack on the United States by Muslim terrorists portrays the dubious nature of [the] human mind.' By the way, Amy Chua makes it clear that not all Brazilians reacted the same way to 9/11. This work is full of interesting, thought-provoking and research-inspiring insights. I recommend it because it enables one to examine perennial types of motivation prevailing on our planet and their fascinating interaction resulting in history-making behavior.