The Storm Before the Storm : The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic

Qué decepción, con lo que me gustan los podcasts de este hombre. Lo achaco al período elegido (entre los Gracos y Sila, más o menos del -170 al -70), demasiado extenso para un libro de este tamaño. Eso hace que la acumulación de nombres y sucesos sea excesiva pero superficial, en lugar de detenerse en unos pocos y en las causas, consecuencias, etc.
Mike Duncan hace un buen trabajo de narrador, pero no puede hacer milagros. A lo mejor para los americanitos esos personajes son desconocidos, pero para un europeo de nivel medio-bajo como un servidor hay que profundizar algo más para aprender algo. Habría sido muy preferible una biografía de cualquiera de los personajes principales.

Despite struggling with the usual problem with Roman History - the sheer number of characters to try and recall, I enjoyed Duncan’s eminently readable focus on the period when the Roman Republic first started to shred - culminating in the first Civil War.
I did however yearn at times for a history that was even more focused, so that rather than rushing through Sulla’s wars in Asia or Gaius Marius’ defeat of the Teutons and Cimbrans, a more in depth study could be made of them. For example, how the wars with Jugartha were described.
Also, isn’t it past the time to stop quoting obviously invented numbers of the dead in each battle? It’s a wonder there was anyone left, if you added them all up and considered the impact on the ability for people to grow food and make children for the future!

Mike Duncan always hits it outta the park. I find myself thinking back to his commentary long after I'm done reading.

It is impossible to read this without finding parallels to the present-day U.S. republic, and difficult not to get caught up in depressing ruminations of where we’re headed, but that’s not fair: this is a great book in its own right, well written and informative and enjoyable, and it’s worth the effort to leave the present behind and focus on what Duncan has to say.

Excellent overview of the years preceding the rise of Caesar, Pompey and other actors who led to the fall of the Roman Republic.

Broadly covers three main topics, the Gracchi Brothers, Gaius Marius and Sula.

Well written, entertaining, this is how Histories should be written.

I enjoyed this book, the recount of the story prior to the end of the roman Republic is full of intrigue and magnificent characters. I found it very interesting.

As a narrative it holds up well, but I left the book wishing there was a bit more theory. What really caused the end of the Roman Republic? Was it the decline of mos maiorum? Was it too much power accumulating in the aristocracy of the senate? These things are mentioned but never really wrapped up into a tight package. I did enjoy the voice and the tone of the book. Many authors writing about ancient history manage to make war, political infighting, and social revolution out to be the driest material, but Mike Duncan makes this story out to be an engaging narrative. Inspires me to finish his podcast, The History of Rome.