Recommended Reading: "The End of Empire" by Christopher Kelly
If you’re interest in the Fall of the Roman Empire (and I assume you are, since you’re reading this), you may be interested in the books I used to research the period for my novels in the Amulet Series.
In Book 3 “The Desecration of Fortune” I tell the story of the invasion of the Roman Empire by Attila the Hun, a key event that weakened the Empire, leading to its downfall. To relate the historical narrative and breathe life into the character of Attila I relied heavily on Christopher Kelly’s book, “The End of Empire: Attila the Hun & the Fall of Rome”.
Kelly reconstructs the scant evidence from the primary sources and assembles a coherent narrative that neither excuses Attila for his crimes, nor presents him in caricature, as has so often been done in the past, but gives readers a glimpse into his reasoning and motivations, humanizing him while not exempting him for the terrible atrocities he caused.
The story of where the Huns came from and how they impacted the Roman Empire is a compelling glimpse into how a primitive nomadic culture was able to upset the most advanced empire in the world, throwing it back on its heels and very nearly wiping it out.
Kelly’s book is readable and engaging with none of the dry, academic pedantry that often makes such books a slog. If you enjoy late Roman history and are interested in the causes behind the fall of the Roman Empire in the West you will find “The End of Empire” a rewarding use of your time.
