Author Description

From its earliest beginnings thousands of years ago, the course of man’s progress has been measured by his empires. Large, dynamic flows of power, people, and culture that merge, thrive, then break apart - the pieces only to merge again in a new configuration, the process to be repeated. Through pictures and words, "Empires: Their Rise and Fall" brings the reader face to face with many of the world’s greatest empires. Full-color photographs are combined with an absorbing narrative in a lively historical account of each empire and an examination of the period’s most enduring cultural achievements. This volume in the series focuses on Imperial Rome, considered by many to be history’s greatest empire. Rome began as the humble convergence of a few small villages on the Tiber River and eventually encompassed more than two million square miles. At its height, the power of Rome spread from Britain in the northwest across the Mediterranean and through the Middle East to the Persian Gulf. In its contributions to our languages, cultures, and customs, no other empire has had greater impact on our lives today.