I am not often moved to write reviews, however after squandering a portion of my meager income on this travesty, I feel I must take action. So seldom have I read a book so poorly written and so heavily lacking both in charm and entertainment. Mr. Blond, in a single consecutive abortion of pages, has managed to condense a fascinating and thoroughly entertaining subject into a seething mass of pampas and indecipherable thoughts. The "author" of this work seldom sees fit to elaborate on any of the facts presented in the "book", much less confine himself to merely one thought per sentence, and instead skips from subject to the next, much like a hyperactive teenager after overdosing on caffeine. Perhaps Blond would be well-served by taking a community-college English course, where the teachers could scold his lack of respect for the readers of his work.

As a history buff, I will have to admit to having an interest in all the salacious details from the past. I was very excited, therefore, by the title of the book and the delights which it promised to offer. I was dissappointed, unfortunately. The author does state that he is not doing anything original, which is fine, but he should at least have found an original way to make this history seem fresh in its retelling. The repetition of many of the anecdotes sometimes could make it seem that one was at faculty dinner party with a professor telling you the same story he had just told in class. Also the longest chapter in the book, on Roman food, was neither scandolous nor about the Roman emperors but, even worse, was not particulary captivating. There were interesting elements to the book as the subject is so fascinating but it was not as well put together as I had antipacited based on its mouth watering title.

Isn't the title of the book a dead giveaway? Whether or not the author selected it himself or it was tagged on at the publisher's request, the title should tell you that this is NOT a serious scholarly work. At the same time, it is apparent that Anthony Blond knows his subject matter well: He just wanted to have some fun. I picked up this book to read for fun and actually learned quite a bit I didn't already know from Michael Grant, Tacitus, or Suetonius.

The first chapter is about sex. That's another giveaway for the Hengist & Horsa crowd (q.v. Lewis Carroll) that tried to savage this book in their reviews. And it covers only the most interesting emperors. Oh, I suppose he could have gone on with chapters on Galba, Otho, and Vitellius -- but, after all, they didn't last long enough to make an impression, did they?

This is a good starting point for someone who wants a quick survey of the subject without getting lost in the footnotes. Blond mentions some interesting secondary sources along the way, and has even interested me in seeking out Josephus, Martial and Juvenal. His send-up of Cicero as a corrupt slumlord was a new one on me: I guess I better read some of those letters to Atticus.

You don't have to be dull to write about Roman history. Anthony Blond does a creditable job here and makes me want to read more of his work.