The Great Fire of Rome by Stephen Dando-Collins

The Great Fire of Rome by Stephen Dando-Collins

Book Review by sonic

In this new book Stephen Dando-Collins (from hereon 'D-C') unsurprisingly tells the story of Nero and The Great Fire of Rome. Drawing on some of the revisionist history of the recent past, D-C defies the old, traditional interpretation that Nero set the fire and then blamed the Christians. Instead, he attempts a complete reanalysis of events in the hope of revealing the 'truth' hidden behind the very biased sources. He begins by outlining the course of events leading up to the great fire, introducing the main characters and their relationships with Nero and with each other. This setting of context is vital to an understanding of how the fire started, how it was perceived at the time, and Nero's role in the ensuing tragedy...

...read the full review of The Great Fire of Rome: The Fall of the Emperor Nero and his City by Stephen Dando-Collins

What may be more damaging is some of D-C

Thanks for the review.

Dando-Collins has a new book out next month called Legions of Rome. It's supposed to be a history of all the Imperial Legions.

I'd like to get it but I'm wary considering his other books on individual legions (such as the tenth legion) have been criticised for all their baseless statements and inaccuracies.

This seems to be the new style or writing history - fact and personal 'interpretation' mixed together in a highly readable, but potentially inaccurate manner. Rather like the old style of the Romans themselves, in fact.

This is the first I've heard of the followers of Isis being involved. Why them? And why not, for example, the Bacchic cult? There's also a very credible theory doing the rounds that 'Christian' fanatics were indeed guilty. Arson was the terrorism of the day, and we have recently had experience of how far dogmatic fundamentalists are prepared to go in attacking the 'Great Satan' (yup, they pretty much called Rome that too).

But if it's well argued, I might be persuaded that Isisites (is that right?) were the arsonists. But Nero a good emperor? No, no, and no again.