Evil Roman Emperors

“In Evil Roman Rulers, Phillip Barlag has given us an insightful catalog of sometimes cruel, often deranged and ultimately scary leaders that will make many readers wonder how the Roman Empire became, and continued to be, so successful for so long. As it turned out, Rome’s institutions proved too strong for even these destructive forces, and for every batch of evil and inept rulers a man of character and ability would arise to set Rome back on course. Only once Rome and her institutions lost their relevance, strength and cohesion did the western empire crumble.”– Stephen Dando-Collins, author of Caligula: The Mad Emperor of Rome, Legions of Rome, and Conquering Jerusalem

“Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. It’s important to study not just good leadership but bad leadership, too. In Evil Roman Emperors, Phillip Barlag gives us lots of lessons to heed in the modern age.”–Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, 11th secretary-general, NATO

NetGalley Review: 4 stars

Last updated on 15 Jun 2021

“My favorite documentaries to watch are about Acient Rome so when I saw this ARC, of course I had to request it. This was so well written and pretty funny at points, and it made it so much fun to listen to. Despite knowing a lot about the Emperors talked about in this book, I still learned a lot about these horrible men. I’m definitely pre-ordering a hardcopy of this book to have on my shelf!”

–Sarah Ramirez, Consumer Reviewer

NetGalley Review: 5 stars

Last updated on 16 Jun 2021

“This book was a bunch of fun to read. I blazed through the various stories and even gasped a few times. I do have to say, I don’t think die hard Rome historians will find this book as funny as I did, and I definitely believe that the author is passionate about his subject, because he made his opinions on certain emperors VERY obvious. All of that considered, this is a book I recommend as an introduction into terrible emperors of Rome and as a jumping off point for your own research.”

–Nicole Nieto Consumer Reviewer

Phillip Barlag is an Executive Director at World 50, a Morgan Stanley company which initiates and facilitates the most interesting and influential business conversations in the world. He is the author of The History of Rome in 12 Buildings and the acclaimed The Leadership Genius of Julius Caesar, and his writing has been published in Fast Company, MIT Sloan Management Review, and ChangeThis.com, among others. He lives in the Atlanta, GA, area with his wife and three children.