Description

‘Toner again spins a tale that is enjoyable and informative.’ The Times

Tour the Roman Empire at its height with Marcus Sidonius Falx and his amanuensis, Dr Jerry Toner.

Travelling east, Falx explores the great cultural centre of Athens before trekking into rural Asia (or Turkey as we know it), past the already ancient Luxor monuments in Roman Egypt, and by the Great Library of Alexandria. Travelling west across the breadbasket of the Empire, he journeys through Gaul (France) before crossing to Britannia, where he suffers the worst that provincial life has to offer.

Falx provides practical advice on surviving all things travel: from pirates and shipwrecks to bedbugs and lousy food. Even the most sedentary reader will feel they have experienced life in the Empire first-hand.

Publisher Review

A quirky, witty jaunt across the Roman world in the 2nd century -- Patrick Kidd * Times * Praise for Jerry Toner and Marcus Sidonius Falx: A fascinating creation ... Here we have a chatty, persuasive, and even likeable voice guiding us through the minutiae of a morally repulsive institution ... The book function[s] as brilliant coded satire of the corporate world * Times Literary Supplement * Thought-provoking and illuminating * FT * Falx's text, illuminated by Toner's commentary, is by turns charming, haughty, and brutal * New Yorker * Illuminating and packs a punch * Times Higher Education *