Another Fine French Travel Book Giveaway!

Edwin Mullins was a young boy when he discovered Roman tile shards on a riverbank near his home in Sussex, England. This led to a lifelong obsession with Roman history and for years, he's been scrambling over and under the half-buried ancient Roman ruins of Provence with his eager dog, Star, and beleaguered wife, Anne. The results of these expeditions can be seen in his latest book, The Roman Provence Guide, where he shares his vast knowledge of both the known sites and hidden traces of this ancient empire. 

The 192-page Roman Provence Guide was designed to appeal to anyone interested in ancient Roman and French history, archaeology, travel and more. And Mullins' very-kind publisher, Interlink Books, has graciously offered me two copies to give away here. Details on entering appear below.

Although the Roman Empire was eventually vanquished, its impact on the world has never vanished of course. In Provence particularly, Julius Caesar'’s grandiose plans live on in countless ruined aqueducts, monuments, triumphal arches, roads, temples, amphitheaters, baths, ramparts and other feats of engineering and architecture. Part historical account, part traveler’s companion, The Roman Provence Guide puts in historical context Rome’'s 600-year rule of ancient Provence, which also included regions of the Pyrenees, the Alps, and the Rhône Valley. The guide also includes maps, black & white and color photos of the sites, a list of museums and visitor centers and a Further Reading List.

The Roman occupation of Provence (“Provincia” in Latin), lasted six centuries, beginning more than 100 years before the birth of Christ, and surviving until well after most of Europe had become Christian. Today the region remains richer in Roman monuments than any other place in the world, with vast amphitheaters, triumphal arches, paved roads and aqueducts spanning the countryside.

Provence owes its name to Julius Caesar, who described the region as “the Province of Rome.” It was then a much larger area, stretching westwards to include Languedoc and Roussillon as far as the Pyrenees, eastward to the Riviera and the Maritimes Alps, and northwards up the Rhône Valley as far as Lyon. This book covers much of that larger area while concentrating on present-day Provence and neighboring Languedoc, the heartlands of the former Roman colony. 

In the book, Mullins tells the story of how the Romans came to invade Provence, how they stayed to colonize it, and how they transformed Provençal cities into imitations of Rome. He relates how Emperor Constantine brought about the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity from his favorite city of Arles— and how the Romans were eventually driven out by the Visigoths.

The Roman Provence Guide features all the principal sites in the region as well as those rarely visited. It has separate chapters on triumphal arches, aqueducts, farming, city life, bridges and road-building, temples and shrines, theatres and amphitheaters. Another section considers the aftermath of Roman rule, the restoration of ancient ruins, and the debt we owe to the remarkable engineers who inspired the first great achievement in medieval church architecture known, appropriately, as “Romanesque.”

Mullins is a writer, journalist, filmmaker and the former art critic of London'’s Sunday Telegraph. His books include The Pilgrimage to Santiago, Avignon of the Popes, The Camargue, and the award-winning In Search of Cluny: God’s Lost Empire.  

The book is available directly from the publisher (click here or call US 800-238-5465), from Amazon and Barnes and Noble or in bookstores. But better yet, enter to win a copy by simply leaving a comment under ''comments'' below. Please be sure to leave your email address somewhere within the comment box or we won't be able to reach you; simply signing in with your website or Google account is not enough. The more creative your comment, the better. Bon Chance!