My favorite documentaries to watch are about Acient Rome so when I saw this ARC, of course I had to request it. This was so well written and pretty funny at points, and it made it so much fun to listen to. Despite knowing a lot about the Emperors talked about in this book, I still learned a lot about these horrible men. I'm definitely pre-ordering a hardcopy of this book to have on my shelf!

I literally laughed out loud while listening to the audiobook! I don't know if enjoyed is a good adjective to describe my experience but I could not put it down. I didn't expect snarky comments about the different rulers to make me chuckle or pause but I would find myself saying, “Wait a second!” and then the book would continue with “That only lasted for a day” or “Just Kidding!” It was so clever! I loved how the material was treated. It could have been so grotesque but the author did his best to allude where possible. It was not very detailed for a book about evil emperors and I appreciate that. The ranking was also a highlight for me. You aren't expected to agree but it does give a great review of the ten chapters (in very minor detail obviously). Really recommend!


I received a free audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook version, so did not have access to any illustrations that may be included in the print version.
I liked this book. It is well-researched and very readable. This is Ancient Roman history written for the general public. You do not have to have much prior knowledge of the subject to enjoy this book. Anyone with a passing interest can learn and be entertained by this interesting catalogue of terrible Roman leaders. The tone of the narrative is casual. If a compendium of evil emperors can be presented with a sense of humor, this author does a great job. At the same time, the author does not downplay just how bad these people were. It's a perfect read for someone interested in Rome who prefers not to tackle an academic text. Of course, it does not include the detail expected in an academic text either.
An appendix of characters discussed in the text is included for convenient reference.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ACR in exchange for my honest review.

I received Evil Roman Emperors audiobook as part of a NetGalley giveaway.

The names of a few Roman emperors are probably at least passingly familiar to most: Augustus, Nero, Caligula, Marcus Aurelius. But just who was the worst, in the long, dark, violent history that began with Romulus and ended with Romulus Augustus? Despite the title, the options are not solely limited to emperor, but includes figures from Rome's days as a monarchy and republic. After reviewing 10 candidates, the final chapter concludes with a countdown to, in Barlag's opinion, the worst.

This is a fairly light and accessible angle on Roman history; you don't need to know a lot going in, and the narrative moves along at a nice pace. On the flip side, this probably isn't for Roman history lovers, since it is more of an entry-level treatment, But for novices, it's a great look at just how nutty the empire was (particularly its latter centuries) and a nice gateway to deeper reads on the subject.

My husband thought I was so bizarre for listening to this on a trip to a wedding but I loved it. Super well-written and wonderfully researched. I think history can sometimes come off as dull but this wasn't. My husband enjoyed it as much as I did.