The City of God, Volume I by Saint Augustine

The appearance of a new English translation of St. Augustine's great work is an event of no small importance in the world of letters. "The City of God" is one of the monuments of human thought, a book which has exercised an influence on the development of Western civilisation second only to that of the Scriptures themselves. The present translation, by the Rev. Marcus Dods, is executed with care and scholarship, and presents the text in a form which, while faithfully preserving the sense of the original, is readable and even elegant. The work is massive in scope and profound in execution; it is not a book to be read lightly, but one to be studied with patient attention.

St. Augustine's "City of God" is a work which, even after fourteen centuries, retains its power to instruct and to inspire. The present translation, by the Rev. Marcus Dods, is a valuable addition to the library of the English reader. The translator has avoided the pedantry which too often disfigures works of this kind, and has given us a version which is at once faithful and readable. The work itself is a defence of Christianity against the charge of having caused the decline of the Roman Empire, but it is far more than that: it is a philosophy of history, a treatise on political theory, and a meditation on the nature of the soul. No serious student of theology or philosophy can afford to neglect it.

I feel bad giving a bad review to a classic but I just couldnt get through this. I got to book 8 and gave up. Augustine repeats himself constantly and the arguments against paganism feel super dated. I get that this was groundbreaking for its time but modern readers will struggle. If you really want to read it get an abridged version or a guide to go with it.

Augustine was a genius plain and simple. Written in response to the fall of Rome, this book lays out a vision of history thats still relevant 1600 years later. Some parts are tedious (theres way too much about Roman mythology) but when Augustine hits his stride its breathtaking. Book 19 alone is worth the price. Not for casual readers though.

Lets be real — this is not a book you read in a weekend. Its dense, its long, and Augustine goes off on tangents constantly. BUT if you stick with it the core ideas are profound. The concept of the two cities (earthly vs heavenly) completely changed how I think about history and society. The Dods translation is a bit old timey but it works. Take it slow, one book at a time.