Right now I'm reading ATLAS OF THE ROMAN WORLD by Tim Cornell and John Matthews (Facts on File, 1982) which I picked up in Lyric Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, NY. I've read all of the Lindsey Davis Falco novels as well as her new series about Flavia Albia both of which are set around 70-85 AD in the Roman Empire. ATLAS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE is excellent, lots of maps, drawings and photos to illustrate a clearly told history of the empire. One of the things I really admire about Davis's books is the understanding of the ins and outs of running an empire, the day to day functions of various offices and departments. This is more evident in the Falco books, the Flavia Albia books are more concentrated on the domestic sphere which is fascinating as well.