ECU Libraries Catalog

Are we Rome? : the fall of an empire and the fate of America / Cullen Murphy.

Author/creator Murphy, Cullen
Format Book and Print
Publication InfoBoston : Houghton Mifflin Co., 2007.
Description262 pages ; 22 cm
Supplemental Content Table of contents only
Supplemental Content Publisher description
Supplemental Content Sample text
Supplemental Content Contributor biographical information
Subject(s)
Contents Prologue : The eagle in the mirror -- 1. The capitals : where Republic meets empire -- 2. The legions : when power meets reality -- 3. The fixers : when public good meets private opportunity -- 4. The outsiders : when people like us meet people like them -- 5. The borders : where the present meets the future -- Epilogue : There once was a great city -- Acknowledgments -- Notes -- Bibliography.
Abstract The rise and fall of ancient Rome has been on American minds from the beginning of our Republic. Depending on who's doing the talking, the history of Rome serves either as a triumphal call to action, or a dire warming of imminent collapse. Esteemed editor and author Murphy ventures past the pundits' rhetoric to draw nuanced lessons about how we might avoid Rome's demise. Working on a canvas that extends far beyond the issue of an overstretched military, Murphy reveals a wide array of similarities between the two empires: the blinding, insular culture of our capitals; the debilitating effect of corruption; the paradoxical issue of borders; and the weakening of the body politic through various forms of "privatization." Most pressingly, he argues that we most resemble Rome in the burgeoning corruption of our government and in our arrogant ignorance of the world outside--two things that are in our power to change.--From publisher description.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (p. 251-262).
LCCN 2006035717
ISBN9780618742226
ISBN0618742220

Available Items

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Joyner General Stacks E169.1 .M957 2007 ✔ Available Place Hold
Joyner General Stacks E169.1 .M957 2007 ✔ Available Place Hold