If you are teaching the Romans in primary school, this book would be an excellent investment. Each double page spread unpacks a different aspect of Roman society, nominally introduced by a young Roman following a different path through life. We meet farmers and butchers, engineers, lawyers and merchants as well as priestesses, soldiers and charioteers. Overall, it builds a rich picture of different experiences, from slave to emperor’s daughter.

The layout is clear, with the text broken into sensible chunks and accompanied by attractive illustrations. It looks engaging for younger readers as well as being easy to dip in and out of to discover more about particular topics. The history of Rome being a special subject of mine, I read it with an eye open for misconceptions but I was impressed by how well it had been researched and by the depth and reliability of the information. I also appreciated the odd snippet of Latin.

Like all books on the Romans, it is rather light on explicit coverage of the diversity of the Roman Empire which facilitated travel, prosperity and cultural exchange across Asia, Africa and Europe. In its later phases, there were at least some men with Asian and African heritage at the highest levels of Roman society; the only non-European characters I could identify here were Hannibal and Abbas, a soldier from Syria. That said, here’s a title with lots to offer. It’s a well-written and accurate introduction to help children build a good picture of Roman life. It’s also an appealing and accessible information book for children to pick up, read and enjoy in its own right. Don’t limit it to history lessons – recommend it to children who prefer fact to fiction and are ready to move beyond Horrible Histories.