The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

By: Edward Gibbon

Narrated by: Charlton Griffin

Here in a single volume is the entire, unabridged recording of Gibbon's masterpiece. Beginning in the second century at the apex of the Pax Romana, Gibbon traces the arc of decline and complete destruction through the centuries across Europe and the Mediterranean. It is a thrilling and cautionary tale of splendor and ruin, of faith and hubris, and of civilization and barbarism. Follow along as Christianity overcomes paganism... before itself coming under intense pressure from Islam. It is a story that begins in Rome and ends in the capture of Constantinople by the Turks almost 1,500 years later. To aid in navigating this massive work, please refer to the accompanying PDF, which contains a table of contents and starting times for each chapter.

Download the accompanying reference guide.Public Domain (P)2015 Audio Connoisseur

Not for the faint of heart…

… But if you're crazy about history, or want to know more about the origins of modern Europe, the Middle East, and the entire Mediterranean region, this book is an extremely good read. It's monumentally boring at times, and of course mired in the past as any 18th century work must be, and enormously prejudiced at times, but for all those faults it is well written and well researched.

I wanted to really like it....

Wow. This is an epic slug fest, but I finished it. It’s not so easy listen at all. Charlton Griffin is an excellent narrator, one of the very best. It’s so long, it’s not easy to follow. It’s perhaps too detailed, but that’s not the problem. The author’s peculiar biases take up an exorbitant amount of time. And it’s meandering in its focus. But there’s no denying that the work is epic in its scope.

A Titanic work of early modern historical investigation

Edward Gibbon’s “History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” has long been heralded as one of the first true scholarly explorations of the causes of decline of one of the greatest empires the world has ever known.
Though in recent years some of his conclusions have been questioned and some of the veracity of his statements challenged, this epic work that consumed 20 years of his life has nonetheless stood as a pillar on which more modern historians have build our current understanding of the Roman Empire.

You really cannot get more bang for your buck from a single audible credit than this book. At 126 hours it must be one of the longest titles included on the platform. A special commendation must be given to the narrator, Charlton Griffin, who does a wonderful job putting into voice the sometimes turgid nature of the work. The simple fact that he voiced the entire 126 hours worth of content is what made me give this review, which is my first one on Audible.
If you have any interest in the Roman Empire specifically or ancient history generally, you can’t go wrong with this book. 5 stars

A Goal Reached

I've always wanted to read this and listening over the course of a year (interspersed with breaks for other books) was a great way to do it. I learned so much. It is history and Gibbon was writing from his western perspective. But listening was the best way for me to actually accomplish my goal of reading the entire treatise.

Outstanding. Unsurpassed as a historical work. Narration was perfect.

If you are a student of history, enjoy reading long works of history and if you want to learn about the Roman Empire and the history of Europe, this is the book.

Intense, informative, but flawed

This time is a must read for the moderately dedicated amateur historian. The reader did exceptional work with very few noticeable mistakes over more than 100 hours. There are a few repeats and one noticeable time when his coughing break wasn't edited out, but still an amazing listen.
For content, Gibbon was great for his time but many things are outdated. This shouldn't be seen as authoritative in a modern context, but as the leading edge of the early 19th century historiography.

What a splendid work!!!

I can't believe I am so fortunate that I finished listening to this great work!!!
Over 126 hours of sheer excellence and enjoyment.
I wonder what more can historians add to these magnificent volumes of the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?

Comprehensive collection of Historical information

This listen is the deepest collection of Roman history ever written, with excellent auditory presentation, it was a two month long listening marathon, a compelling journey, three thumbs up

Good book

It’s a lot of history. Some parts are hard to concentrate, but lots of really good stuff.

Worth it!

It took me 5 months but what an education it provided me! His vocabulary and grammar alone make this must for an English teacher.
Gibbon is supremely comprehensive and far less cynical than his reputation.