Norman Cantor has written a thorough yet concise history of social, cultural, economic and political events as well as of religion, philosophy, and the environment, covering such diverse subjects as the beginning of Christianity and both the ascent and descent of the Roman Empire.
Given the complexity and weight of some of the subject matter, Cantor does an extraordinary job of making this book fluently readable and easy to follow. He is a master of brevity in that he manages to condense voluminous material into compelling information with no extraneous superfluity.
The trick with brevity is to make the points cogent without being condescending, and Cantor does just that. In Chapter 12 on Rome, he gives a brief yet encompassing history that surpasses any previous literary attempts. It’s wonderful to read the work of a writer who understands that less is more.
With deft skill, Cantor analyzes and focuses on pertinent points of the books and ideas of times long past that still resonate today. As an Emeritus Professor of History, Sociology, and Comparative Literature, Cantor is uniquely qualified to take on a task of this magnitude.
Antiquity is an invaluable reference for history buffs, students and writers and is a good read for just about anyone else.