Review: Roman Britain and where to find it
Denise Allen, Mike Bryan
The book “Roman Britain and where to find it”, authored by Denise Allen and Mike Bryan, is a form of a guide telling about the most important places and monuments in Britain related to the presence of ancient Romans. The item was published by Amberley Publishing.
The book is really a very interesting proposition for anyone who would like to visit Britain in the footsteps of the Romans. Readers have been given a list of outstanding places, which the authors have divided regionally. The book consists of nine chapters – for example, Chapter 1 presents the most interesting Roman sites and monuments in the South East of England, while Chapter 9 is a summary of the remains of the Roman presence in Scotland. Separately, the authors decided to include the famous Hadrian’s wall, due to the uniqueness of the structure and the multitude of preserved foundations and discovered Roman objects.
Each presented place/monument has a scale of stars (from 1 to 5), which suggests how unique the find is. Each presented place has a description, and in the case of better-rated monuments, we will additionally find a photo of interesting objects or artifacts and a wider context of the place (for example Bath or York).
In addition, the guide also has maps that facilitate orientation in the field; each chapter has its own map with important markings. Some locations also have annotations as to when the attraction is open to visitors.
At the end of the book, you will find a dictionary, a list of people related to Roman Britain, a chronology of the presence of Romans on the island and a bibliography that will allow you to broaden your knowledge.
In my opinion, the book is extremely valuable for anyone who would like to get to know Roman Britain better. For many, a book can be a travel motivation, especially when we know where we can see such unique remains as the Roman Fort Ardoch in Scotland or the Amphitheater in Caerleon, Wales.
