An Imperial Possession

the long version

The definitive history of Roman BritainIn the first major narative history of the subject in more than a generation, David Mattingly brings life in Britain during four hundred years of Roman domination into vivid relief. Drawing on a wealth of new research and cutting through the myths and misunderstandings that commonly surround most perceptions of Roman Britain, An Imperial Possession describes a remote and culturally diverse province that required a heavy military presence both to keep its subjects in order and to exploit its resources for the empire. With his wonderful addition to the Penguin History of Britain series, "Mattingly shows . . . just how interesting life could be on the outer fringes of the Roman Empire" (The Sunday Telegraph).