In Manpower Shortage and the Fall of the Roman Empire in the West, Arthur E. R. Boak, applying to population trends in antiquity the methods worked out by modern demographers, shows that there was a real and general decline in both rural and town population of the Roman Empire in the West from the middle of the second century on; that the Late Empire was from its beginnings faced with a marked deficiency in human resources; and that this manpower shortage was the cause--not, as has been held, the consequence--of much that has been considered authoritarian in the administration of Late Rome. This analysis throws new light on the economic and social legislation of Diocletian, Constantine I, and their successors. As the first detailed picture of the population policies of the Western Empire, and their effects on its government service, the study concerns economists and sociologists as well as historians and classicists.

Based on the major primary sources of Roman history, this book recalls the experiences of the ancient Romans through a thousand years of their history. Roman Realities recalls the experiences of the ancient Romans through a thousand years of their history, emphasizing the problems produced by their successes and the lessons to be learned from their failures. It is based on the major primary sources of Roman history, with illuminating paralells between ancient and modern times. As Finley Hooper says in his introduction, "Anyone concerned about present problems will profit from reading about how the Romans went about solving theirs--with the added advantage of knowing how it all turned out." Although scholars will find the events in this book familiar, they will not necessarily share its insights or agree with its interpretations. This is a book to read, enjoy--and argue about!

Sir Thomas Fairfax, not Oliver Cromwell, was creator and commander of Parliament's New Model Army from 1645 to1650. Although Fairfax emerged as England's most successful commander of the 1640s, this book challenges the orthodoxy that he was purely a military figure, showing how he was not apolitical or disinterested in politics. The book combines narrative and thematic approaches to explore the wider issues of popular allegiance, puritan religion, concepts of honour, image, reputation, memory, gender, literature, and Fairfax's relationship with Cromwell. 'Black Tom' delivers a groundbreaking examination of the transformative experience of the English revolution from the viewpoint of one of its leading, yet most neglected, participants. It is the first modern academic study of Fairfax, making it essential reading for university students as well as historians of the seventeenth century. Its accessible style will appeal to a wider audience of those interested in the civil wars and interregnum more generally.

Discusses Rome's challenges in governing over different cultures, organizing an army made of non-Romans, inculcating Roman values and religion, feeding the army, trading, urbanizing, and industrializing. To make this work accessible to readers who lack an extensive background in Roman history, all Latin expressions are defined in the course of the discussion, a glossary is included, and modern as well as contemporary Latin names of places are used. Paper edition (unseen), $19.95. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR