Heather also deserves credit for wading into a subject matter already covered by the likes of Edward Gibbon. Likewise, Attila the Hun is notorious for his exploits but fewer people will know the deeds of Radagaisus and Fritigern. Heather’s ability to tell an engaging story of the famous and the forgotten is admirable.
Empires and Barbarians’ subject is the events occurring in Europe after the third-century crisis in the Roman Empire. This is not an easy subject to cover. There are fewer primary sources than for the imperial period and there are a lot of different and not-well-understood characters and nations entering the narrative. The Huns, Vandals, and Visigoths are well known by reputation but Heather deals with the Suevi and the Taifali as well. Peter Heather’s compendium Empires and Barbarians is an impressive work in its scope, ambition, and sheer size. At 734 pages, this is a serious academic work, yet its tone and language remain admirably accessible and engaging for the interested, if uninitiated, general audience. Reviewed by Christopher Gennari (Camden County College) New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2012. Empires and Barbarians: The Fall of Rome and the Birth of Europe.
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