When I first started reading Livy's "The War with Hannibal", the book that cronologically precedes "Rome and the Mediterranean", I was not sure if I was going to be able to get to the end of it. I had never read Livy before and it is a long book. As it happened, immediately after I finished reading "The War with Hannibal" (hereafter referred to as WWH) I started reading "Rome and the Mediterranean", which is no less long, and no less good. I wrote a comment on WWH and everything I said of Livy there equally holds true here: he is a remarkable narrator and, though partial to the Romans, his style is measured and believable. As a historian, he is no less inventive than other fellow historians of his time. But his accounts are extremely detailed and always interesting. It could be said that WWH is more atractive than this book because it relates the Second Punic War, the story of Hannibal's invasion of Italy, one of the most interesting episodes in the entire history of the world. I would venture the following comparison: WWH resembles a novel. The whole book deals with Rome's war against Carthage, be it in Italy, Spain of Africa. Hannibal is the main character and Scipio Africanus, Fabius Maximus and Marcellus the secondary ones. On the other hand "Rome and the Mediterranean" is more like a collection of short stories. It is full of different anectodotes, stories and situations. Of course all of them revolving around the conflicts Rome had against Greece, Macedon and Asia during the years 200-167 BC, but there is no other unifying principle. Here you will find a variety of plots and characters. I know this comparison is arguable but I think it can convey an approximate idea to someone who hasn't read the book. I would also like to point out that while WWH is mainly a military history, this book is also a politcal one as well. Not only we find descriptions of battles and tactics, but a detailed account of the complex politics between the Greeks, the Macedonians, the Aetolians, the Acheans and the different kings of the multiple states of Greece and Asia, and their relationships with Rome. All this changing history of treacheries, pacts, leagues, alliances and complots is wonderfully and clearly portrayed, written with Livy's characteristic mastery of the craft. And you will also find here a sequel to the events of WWH: you will find out, for example, what happened with Scipio Africanus and Hannibal after the battle of Zama (what tragic and similar destiny!, both great men dying in exile and distanced from their own people; Plutarch should have written their biographies together in his Parallel Lives). Because of this, I would advise you to read both books, if you have the opportunity, and in cronological order: first WWH and afterwards "Rome and the Mediterranean" (don't let the length of both books combined intimidate you!). This is a very good edition (although a couple of more detailed maps would have been helpful) and so is the translation.

I have been fascinated by Roman history since I was a teenager, and over the years I have read the works of many of the classical historians. Livy has always been among my favorites. A contemporary of Augustus, Livy wrote a full history of Rome from its beginnings up to his own time. Tragically, only a portion of his work has survived. This book contains his History from Rome's legendary beginnings up through 167 B.C. except for books XXI through XXX, which deal with the war against Hannibal and are published separately.

His source material being necessarily limited, much of the early history is sketchy. However, Livy seems to draw on as much material, whether traditional or documentary, as he could muster. Further, he wrote with the desire to both inform and entertain. His work is lively and dramatic and he has a knack for vividly portraying the principal personalities. Like other ancient historians, Livy isn't bashful about inventing dialogue for his leading protagonists, but this adds an air of reality to what would otherwise become a dry narrative.

This is classical history at its best and I highly recommend it for anyone with an interest in ancient Rome.

If you want to know more about the history of the church, and you want to read the original documents, this is the book. This book will take you deeper into doctrine origination and debate throughout the history of the church. There are many typed of documents represented from Augustine to more modern documents on Jesuits. I appreciate the fact they do some limited notes for you to help you understand dates, but otherwise leave you to figure out for yourself what these documents mean, and if they are valid or not. It leaves it up to you, not someone telling you what they think. Good compilation & scholarship.

Joseph Dworak

Henry Bettenson and Chris Maunder have done a great job of collecting some of the most important documents of the Christian religion from the beginning until today. Almost every major controversy in the universal Church is represented by a document or two. For instance, Arianism, Montanism, Sabellianism, etc, are all covered. Sometimes the writings of the heretics are thrown in for a more balanced perspective. As the authors move past the Reformation, the book becomes less useful. Since there are so many documents from various denominations, it becomes impossible to fit all of them in one small book. The Church of England is heavily represented, as are other religious movements in England. The documents of the Roman Catholic Church are represented, including documents of Trent and Vatican II. Luther's entire '95 Theses' are included. Some of the modern documents relate to issues of women's ordination, black theology, social justice, homosexuality, ecumenical relations, and AIDS. These are useful because they give documents from our own time.

Overall this is a good collection. However, for every document included, there were 20 more that could have been added. This is just the nature of the book. The editors did a great job of choosing relevant documents. So it's a good collection that will scratch the surface, acting as an introduction, but is by no means the only book someone studying Christian thought in-depth would need. However, the book provides original texts, which many people rarely get to read, so that is quite a treat. While the book is small, the print is tiny, so they manage to squeeze in a lot of material in 461 pages! As a collection of primary texts, this is one of the best introductions to the thought of the Church from its birth until today.

If you are a student of theology, Western history of almost any sort, church-state relations, sociology of religion, philosophy of religion, or are just a mad autodidact, you already have this book. All primary sources, and fascinating reading for any occasion. If it played a role in the formation of Western theology and political-ecclesiological development, it is in this small book. There is information in this book you don't even know that you are missing, so look at it this way: church histories are necessary and very important, but wouldn't you like to read the same documents the historians are reading, and draw your own conclusions? An essential tool for professors, students, pastors, and educated Westerners of all stripes.

Henry Bettenson, a teacher in Patristics and Classics has made an important contribution to the students who wish to delve into the Fathers of the Church. The present book provides an introduction. The book deals with the Church Fathers from the council of Nicea to Pope Leo the Great. This period from 325 to 461 is called the golden age of patristic literature. The Fathers represented here are Cyril of Jerusalem, Hilary of Poitiers, Basil of Caesaria, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, Theodore of Mopsuestia, John Chrysostom, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine of Hippo, Cyril of Alexandria, Theodoret of Cyrus, and Leo the Great. It contains short biographic sketches of the Fathers represented here and citations from their writings carefully categorized under different headings.

The great contributions of the post-Nicene Fathers of the Church in the direction of the development of dogmas on Trinity, Holy Spirit and the nature of Christ are well brought out. A thorough study of the contexts in which these patristic writings appeared, is essential to understand the texts. Bettenson is short and sketchy in these contexts, since the book is intented to be only an introduction.