Got given this.

This is really good. An accessible yet detailed look at ancient Rome chock full of first hand accounts and actual evidence and written by a proper historian who happens to have a knack for making her subject fascinating. OK, so I knew a bit about the Romans, I've read all of the Asterix books for a start, but this goes into even more detail than the legendary Goscinny & Uderzo! OK, it's a long read, but the Romans were around for a while and did quite a lot, so there is much to pack in. I heartily recommend this to anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the Roman world for a while.