For the curious child who is starting to ask how the modern world began. This accessible guide makes the grand history of the Roman Empire feel like a story.
A parent might reach for this book when their child starts asking big questions about the past, sparked by a movie, a video game, or a fascination with myths and legends. This visually rich Usborne book serves as a perfect introduction to the ancient world, charting the incredible story of Rome from its mythical founding to its eventual fall. It covers famous emperors, the life of a legionary, gladiatorial games, and incredible engineering feats. The book naturally explores themes of curiosity about how societies work, the resilience needed to build and sustain an empire, and early concepts of justice through Roman law. It's an excellent, accessible choice for children 8-12 who are ready for nonfiction that reads like an adventure story.
Mentions deaths of historical figures as factual events.
Sad ContentMild
Discusses slavery and the collapse of the empire in a historical context.
ViolenceModerate
Depicts historical warfare, assassinations, and gladiatorial combat. Factual and not graphic.
Sensitive Topics
The book deals directly with historical violence, slavery, and death. Topics like warfare, assassinations (e.g., Julius Caesar), and gladiatorial combat are presented as historical facts without gratuitous or graphic detail. Slavery is mentioned as an integral part of Roman society. The book is secular in its approach, discussing Roman mythology and the rise of Christianity from a historical perspective. The end, detailing the fall of the empire, is factual and not emotionally overwrought, presenting a realistic conclusion to a historical era.
Ideal Reader
This is for an 8 to 11-year-old who is a budding historian. They are a curious fact-collector, possibly inspired by mythology (like Percy Jackson), strategy video games, or an interest in construction and engineering. They enjoy nonfiction that is highly visual and broken into digestible chunks rather than dense prose.
Parent Prep
A parent should be ready to discuss the reality of slavery in the ancient world, providing moral context that the book presents more as a fact of the era. Previewing the sections on gladiators (pages 34-35) and the discussion of Christianity's rise might be useful. The book can be read cold, but conversations about the concepts of empire, conquest, and slavery will enrich the experience. A parent has heard their child say, "Were gladiators real?" or "I wish I could build an aqueduct!" The child might be graduating from mythology books and asking about the actual history behind the stories, or they may have visited a museum and become fascinated by a Roman exhibit.
Age Experience
A younger reader (8-9) will latch onto the exciting, tangible elements: the story of Romulus and Remus, the armor of a soldier, the idea of a volcano destroying Pompeii. An older reader (10-12) will begin to grasp more abstract concepts, such as the political shift from a republic to an empire, the logistics of ruling a vast territory, and the complex causes of Rome's decline. They will see the connections between Roman law and engineering and our world today.
What Makes It Special
Its primary differentiator is the classic Usborne format. Unlike more text-heavy history books, every page is a colorful, illustrated spread with diagrams, cutaways, and maps. This high visual appeal makes a complex topic extremely accessible and engaging, especially for reluctant readers or visual learners. It feels less like a textbook and more like a journey of discovery.
Read plot summary
This book provides a chronological overview of Ancient Rome, beginning with the legend of Romulus and Remus. It covers the Roman Republic, the rise of key figures like Julius Caesar, the transition to the Roman Empire under emperors like Augustus, and the expansion of its power. The book details aspects of daily life, including homes, food, and public baths. It also focuses on the structure of the Roman army, the spectacle of gladiatorial games, significant architectural and engineering achievements like aqueducts and roads, and concludes with the factors leading to the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
On pages 34-35, we learn about gladiators. Why do you think crowds in ancient Rome enjoyed watching these dangerous games? Do we have any entertainment today that feels similar?
2
The Romans built incredible things like roads and aqueducts that are still around today. If you were a Roman engineer, what problem would you want to solve with a new invention?
3
The book talks about many different emperors, some good and some not so good. If you could have dinner with one Roman emperor, who would it be and what one question would you ask them?
4
The book gives several reasons for why the Roman Empire fell. Which reason do you think was the most important one? Do you think it could have been saved?
