The storm before the storm
by Duncan, Michael (Podcaster), Mike Duncan · first published 2017
95% recommend5% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Narrative history of the century before Caesar, from the Gracchi through Marius and Sulla, showing how elites resisting reform pushed the Republic toward collapse. Suits podcast fans and readers drawing modern parallels.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
The creator of the award-winning podcast series The History of Rome and Revolutions brings to life the bloody battles, political machinations, and human drama that set the stage for the fall of the Roman Republic. The Roman Republic was one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of civilization. Beginning as a small city-state in central Italy, Rome gradually expanded into a wider world filled with petty tyrants, barbarian chieftains, and despotic kings. Through the centuries, Rome's model of cooperative and participatory government remained remarkably durable and unmatched in the
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Non-fiction: - Factfulness by Hans Rosling - The War on Science by Shawn Otto - Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell - A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson - The Storm Before the Storm by Mike Duncan - The Enigma of Reason by Hugo Mercier Fiction: - And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson - The Magicians by Lev Grossman The non-fiction…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗…the Roman Republic. It's $10 if you buy directly from his site and absolutely worth it. Along the same lines, fans of Mike Duncan's "History of Rome" podcast should consider purchasing his book "The Storm Before the Storm." It covers this period with nuance and depth.
on “Review of Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny” ↗Here's a brand new one, from a famous history podcaster, Mike Duncan of The History of Rome fame. The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic It would have been great if everyone had read this in the 80s, 90s, 2000s... An under-analyzed period of Roman history.
on “Ask HN: Which books do you wish you'd read earlier in life?” ↗True! A good look into this further is Mike Duncan's The Storm before the Storm that leads into the Sulla era: https://www.amazon.com/Storm-Before-Beginning-Roman-Republic... Duncan's The History of Rome podcast is very good overall and very much worth a listen.
on “American Mercenaries Were Hired to Assassinate Politicians in the Middle East” ↗If you enjoy podcasts, then Mike Duncan's History of Rome is an excellent piece of work. Similarly, his book "Storm Before the Storm" is very good, focusing on the events that began the collapse of the Roman Republic: Sulla, and his civil wars. If you enjoy biographies then Adrian Goldsworthy's books "Caesar" and "Augustus" are very…
on “How to be a Roman emperor” ↗Also the book The Storm Before The Storm, written by the author of that podcast (Mike Duncan), which about the end of the Roman republic (not the empire). http://thestormbeforethestorm.com/
on ““Peak Civilization”: The Fall of the Roman Empire (2009)” ↗…that they refused to reform the system in time to save it. All taking place a few decades after a decisive victory in a long cold war, leaving Rome hegemon of the world. I recommend checking out The Storm Before The Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic by Mike Duncan. It illustrates the process from "hey, the rules don't technically say bills have to start in the upper house..." to all-out civil war, step…
on “Review of Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny” ↗Again, I recommend Mike Duncan's book, "The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic." It details many, many cycles of the same phenomenon, and not just in Roman society. The truth is, it's hard NOT to make some rather firm generalizations…
on “What America can learn from the fall of the Roman republic” ↗His "The Storm Before the Storm" (https://www.amazon.com/Storm-Before-Beginning-Roman-Republic...) is a great read as well. I was genuinely saddened when I finished it.
on “Ancient monument sheds light on battle of Actium” ↗I would have expected more biographies (one or more from Walter Isaacson?) or historical books. One I would put on the list fors sure is Mike Duncan's "The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic" which is as much a history book as it is a reflection of human nature. To study the history of the Roman Republic and Empire is to realize that even if…
on “The 50 Best Nonfiction Books of the Past 25 Years” ↗You should read 'The Storm Before the Storm' by Mike Duncan. It details the fall of the Roman Republic and highlights the role played by land consolidation and the social dislocation that gave rise to the empire. For better or worse, it was definitely…
on “For tech-weary Midwest farmers, 40-year-old tractors now a hot commodity” ↗I've been reading the Foundation series, and it's quite good. Aside from that: "The New Right" by Michael Malice "The Storm Before the Storm" by Mike Duncan "The Anglo-American Establishment" by Carroll Quigley "Numbers Don't Lie" by Vaclav Smil Books that weren't good: "A Short History of Man" by Hans-Herman Hopper "The Singularity is…
on “Ask HN: What is the best thing you read in 2022?” ↗Surprised that nobody's mentioned Mike Duncan's Storm before the Storm[1] in this... The problems of the Republic go back a century before Caesar, at the very least. Another series I really liked (it's a fictionalisation, but still) was Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome[2].…
on “What Was the Impact of Julius Caesar’s Murder?” ↗To avoid burying information, that's "The storm before the storm" (as the slug suggests), by Mike Duncan. I can second that someone who enjoyed SPQR is likely to enjoy this one.
on “In the Ruins of Edward Gibbon's Masterpiece” ↗Check out the Storm before the Storm by Mike Duncan about the last hundred years leading up the the fall of the Roman Republic. The sequence of events and personalities that emerged were almost incomprehensible as being possible in real…
on “In the Ruins of Edward Gibbon's Masterpiece” ↗