"A short and clear statement of the rise and fall of Rome, with a biography of her chief men and an outline of her institutions, manners and religion. The story is well told, making it an excellent book for high schools and academies, as well as for the general reader." -The Ohio Educational Monthly

"The first task to which the compiler of a school history must address himself is that of selecting his material - of determining what events are to be discussed at length, what may be simply touched upon, and what others, perhaps not unimportant, must be passed over in silence. In this task, and it is not an easy one, Prof. Pennell has been remarkably successful. He seems to possess an unerring instinct for the really important and significant, so that guided by him the student follows the true march of history, not diverted, as is so often the case, by a thousand meaningless details and incidents. The result is that we have a story of remarkable unity and continuity, not interrupted by incident or episode, but leaving upon the mind the impression of a connected, symmetrical whole....There is no danger that Prof. Pennell's history will be found uninteresting by the most unwilling student. It is on the contrary full of interest. Its charm lies partly in the directness and simplicity of the narrative, of which we have just spoken, partly in the ease and purity of the style, which is adapted to the comprehension of young students, and partly in a certain suggestiveness, which is one of the best features of the book.....The book is deserving of the highest praise. It shows an even-handed impartiality, sound scholarship, keen perception and remarkable powers of delineation. It is a text-book of very high grade and should meet a warm and wide reception." -The Academy