The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Edward Gibbon

Classic History. As important for its influence on the way we write history as for its inherent value. Gibbon does not hold your hand. It is enormously long so I have only yet read it in abridgement. If you want entertainment start with the parts about Atilla the Hun, if you want to hear Gibbons description of Rome at its height and analysis of the fall in short read the first few chapters.