The best thing is that you can decide the level of depth you're willing to dig into a subject.

A great collection of books called The Story of Civilization by Will & Ariel Durant. The 11-volume set may seem daunting but the writing is clear and understandable and backed up with solid research.

by Gibbon. I got through most of it in an AP history class in high school. It was written in 1776 so while comprehensive as hell most won't want to go that extent. To be honest, I probably remember less of it given the rapid-fire manner in which I had to get through it, than I would the more contemporary writings and documentaries.

I only wish more Americans had familiarized themselves with the lessons of Rome, though (or frankly on any other lessons of the fragiity of Democracy)

I just finished reviewing a text for publication about the democratic institutions in Latin America. Its publication will be timely, because it’s a history of the fits and starts of democracy. And it selves into how much work, how much social compact, goes into the maintenance of democracy.
And thus we see how fragile it really is in the face of autocrats.

with today's dilemmas is pretty futile. You'll find some in general but also you'll find the details make it a usless comparison. There are over 200 different theories of what precipitated the fall and no one agrees actually when it happened spanning hundreds or even a thousand years. Have fun with the exercise but don't try to match it to the US. There's really nothing there.

1. History repeats itself, in government, politics, society, etc.

2. Perspective of "how did we get here?"

3. Newer applications of good ideas are found in this study.

"S.P.Q.R: A History of Ancient Rome," by Mary Beard

And yes, I think there's always a benefit to studying history and searching for parallels.

"Rubicon," by Tom Holland. It's a tremendously researched, very readable work that covers the last decades of the Roman Republic.

I am reading the Federalist Papers again after 30 years. I first read them in college, then again later on. I felt I needed a refresher course.

Human societies have much in common and learning from mistakes can help.

but not light reading...

Ok ok the senators voted. But it was always about winning ground battles. The Caesars all had to conquer to remain in power.

Not like ours at all.

Professor Mary BEARD is a gateway drug. Metatron is fun and enlightening.

The parts about identifying with particular points in time and learning from the past is fine, but are too late in the present moment (present moment for any era) in the first place and futile in the second place because the forces rolling out are too powerful as they're happening to be able to fix them by somebody reading something. All that happens in the present moment is to say, "Oh, this is like what happened on such and such date."

That said, at my late date of 73 years, the videos have been astounding to me, and I supposedly was a History Minor, yet not moved or impressed during my highfalutin university learning, but now am awe struck. The history, the accomplishments, the drama are just (over-used/cheapened word: ) amazing. The whole thing just a thing in its own self.

How Germany's lack of a strong middle class contributed to liberalism and feminism never having a strong presence there, and so the rise of nationalism and wars.

Nations need a strong middle class in order to avoid the rise nationalism, demagogues and more.

The US middle class, once no. 1 and the world's largest ever is fast diminishing and it's very dangerous.

A hugely important new work which explores the preconditions that led to the collapse of the Republic, and the emergence of Empire. The acutal fall of the Republic is largely is contest of personalities - Caesars royal ambitions, the civil war after his assassination, and finally the victory of Octavian.

The story before the Strom shows how rising income and wealthy inequality, hand in hand the resistance to reform by the wealthiest in the Senate, white anted the Republic, leaving it vulnerable to authoritarian popularism.

which he did before writing the book: https://thehistoryofrome.typepad.com/

if people want a different format.

Read it a couple of years ago. Might be worth reading, and you’ll wonder what the modern equivalent of “the terror” will be. Guillotines are going to be tough to bring back.

It’s outstanding, engaging and extremely informative. Here’s how Smithsonian pitches the eight-episode series:

Award-winning historian Bettany Hughes is on a mission that will take her across Italy's ancient sites and into the psyches of the emperors, gladiators, and generals of the Roman Empire. Explore the rise and fall of one of history's most extraordinary reigns, defined by eight critical days. From the defeat of the Carthaginian Empire to Julius Caesar's crossing the Rubicon River to Constantine's conversion to Christianity, explore this remarkable period and meet its key figures.