The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Penguin Classics)

This is an excellent abridged edition of Edward Gibbon's classic "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" and it makes both a perfect introduction for those just getting into Gibbon and a useful portable copy for people who have the entire set. This abridgement includes much of Gibbon's coverage of the decline and fall of the western empire and some interesting chapters and excerpts from the remainder of the work, ideal for the general reader. Most of Gibbon's history still stands up after 200 years (and footnotes point out where it doesn't), and it is written in an absolutely gorgeous English style. Anyone interested in Rome owes it to themselves to read Gibbon, and this is a good place to get your feet wet.

Enjoyable much to absorb.It took Winston Churchill many years to read it.

Not the entire Decline & Fall. Mostly a scanned photocopy of Book 1, hard to read, many words garbled by the technology, no hyperlinks to chapters, no warning of what this is in the Amazon listing. A shameful offering. Hard to get money back for a digital book. Don't buy it.

Very good...very good price

This abridged version of Gibbon's history is the most enjoyable one I have read. The book consists mostly of the first half of the original, but also has some of the popular chapters of the latter half. However what delighted me most was that when a paragraph(s) or chapter(s) was omitted, there was a footnote which gave a quick synopsis on what you missed. I suggest this book to anyone that has an adequate reading level and an intrest in Rome. When you finish you'll find yourself more literate and extremly knowledgeable in the history of Rome.

Unreadable with digital mistakes and symbols. Suggest trying the "History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by the same author. This edition is a waste of money.

Dero A. Saunders abridged edition of the "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" enhances the already elucidating and comprehensive full volume set sketched by Gibbon, and adds a precise tone to make this edition a quick and fulfilling read. At proscribed intervals throughout this work, Saunders summarizes portions of Gibbon's original volume, and successfully renders a "magnum opus" accessible for busy students and readers in general. The latter half of Gibbon's original work - after the sack of Rome - is composed of excerpts deemed necessary for a better understanding of the Empire's condition after the fall; and consists of: the age of Justinian, the rise of Islam, the fall of Constantinople, the ruins of Rome, and Gibbon's conclusion to the work as a whole. The breadth of this work brims with irony and a captivating charm that pervasively treats the vicissitudes of the Roman Empire with a witty candor. This is a timeless classic and a must have for anyone intersted in late Roman and Christian antiquity. It took a bit of courage on my part to give this excellent book four stars, but a few things must be considered. First of all, Gibbon wrote this history through a reformation lense and shamelessly exhibits his sentiments towards a history that was strictly catholic. Constantine is looked at with disregard and even indiffernce, while latter Julian the Apostate - the enemy of Christianity - is praised for his intelligence and valor. Hardly something I would expect from a christian historian. Also, as I said earlier, this edition is made accessible for busy students and readers; not historians and scholars. So for those who wish for a more in-depth and comprehensive approach to Gibbon's work, I would suggest the whole set. But for anyone who wishes to find a precise edition with all the essentials, undoubtedly Dero A. Saunders is the best.

Gibbon writes well, and this abridged edition makes him even more accessible. It is interesting to consider both the history he describes and also the viewpoint of the time in which he was writing in the late 18th century.

it's fine

Good but the editing is harsh - so much left out. Still one could not make the book one volume without harsh editing.