Episode 419 - Jeremy Slate - Is America Doomed To Fail Just Like Rome

This book provides a dramatic narrative history of the Wars of the Roses, a period marked by intense civil war between the Lancastrian and Yorkist branches of the Plantagenet dynasty. Dan Jones explores the complex political maneuverings, bloody battles, and the roles of key figures such as Henry VI, Margaret of Anjou, Richard III, and the Earl of Warwick. The book offers a corrective to Tudor propaganda and provides a detailed look at the battles of Towton and Bosworth, where the last Plantagenet king was slain. It is a compelling and readable introduction to this turbulent era in English history.

This magisterial history, written by Edward Gibbon, covers the peak of the Roman Empire, the history of early Christianity, the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and the rise and fall of various other empires and civilizations up to the fall of Byzantium in 1453. Gibbon's work is renowned for its thorough scholarship, diverse sources, and engaging prose. He argues that the Roman Empire succumbed to barbarian invasions partly due to the gradual loss of civic virtue among its citizens and critiques the role of Christianity in the empire's decline. The work was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1789 and has remained a seminal work in historical literature despite some criticisms from modern scholars.

Written in the early 16th century, 'The Prince' is a realistic instruction guide for new rulers. Machiavelli argues that an effective leader must be skilled in the art of war, sometimes cruel, and willing to use deception and manipulation to achieve political goals. The book is divided into chapters that discuss various types of principalities, how to acquire and maintain power, and the qualities a prince should possess. Machiavelli uses historical examples, including the career of Cesare Borgia, to illustrate his points. The treatise emphasizes the importance of maintaining the goodwill of the people and the stability of the state, even if it means deviating from traditional virtues. 'The Prince' remains a controversial but influential work in modern political philosophy.