Rome captured me because I had been reading[[ASIN:080508861X The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 (Liberation Trilogy)]] I wanted to review the history of Rome and glimpse the country through time. As in casual conversation mistakes are not important. It is the overall view of history and the gist of it., that I wanted. I came away in awe of the Emperors and their might to create the classical beauty of Rome. This power and awe transferred to the Popes who continued to build and arrange the grandeur of Rome. When years after my first visit to Rome and what I wanted to see ,the Coliseum, the fountain of Trevi,etc, I returned. This time I entered from Ostia, the port of Rome and was stunned to see the city created by Mussolini. I think that having experienced Rome in person ,seeing the Mussolini creation etc. helps to enjoy the book. It was truly a sweeping view of the history of this great city. I found myself picking up the book frequently and finishing it quicker than expected. Even the comment of the author, about the traffic resonated because I too, had seen Rome in the 1950's and returned in the early 1980's to a new, crowded Rome.. A curious reader, I was astounded to learn that Ostia was dug as a deep harbor by , I think it was Constantine! Oops! Did I remember correctly? ( A quick glance at other reviews surprised me with their criticism of mixing up Emperors, etc...)
I do have to admit that I was taken back by a footnote in the book, for one thing, that pointed out Hughes harsh opinion of [[ASIN:0307474275 The Da Vinci Code]] It was after all a best selling novel!
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