This is a major work that is welcome not only in the field of late antique studies but in Roman archaeology as a whole. It presents a valuable synthesis of archaeological material from different areas in Western Europe, crossing boundaries of geography and scholarly tradition, but also offers important discussion and analysis. Its scale and emphasis on archaeology rather than history, though it is also dotted with sections of historical narrative, makes it an important addition to the field. The book is organised both chronologically and thematically being divided between major periods between a.d. 200 and 500 and also themes including the military, the economy, urbanism and rural settlement, religion, and power and authority.

The book begins by explaining the reasoning behind starting the survey at a.d. 200, stating that this allows for the important developments and changes of the third century to be included (5). It then provides an important analysis of the third century and explores the extent to which it can be regarded as a ‘crisis’ (18–32). The book's introduction outlines its methodological and theoretical approach including its use of the Annales school which acknowledges the importance of different timescales for understanding events and experiences (7). It also discusses some key themes that recur throughout the work including regionality, integration and disintegration across the study area, identity and materiality.

While the book is important as a source of archaeological material, it is perhaps more useful for its interpretative discussion and analysis. Indeed, as the author himself states, the material he analyses does not cover the whole of Western Europe but focuses on the areas where he has particular knowledge and experience, including the north and centre of Iberia, south-western Gaul, south-eastern Gaul, northern Gaul, the Moselle and central Rhineland, and Britain (16). The data are also presented, perhaps understandably, in a synthesised form which can mean that it is more difficult to utilise them and there is also likely to be an element of cherry-picking sites to be examined.

More significant are the analyses and discussions that occur throughout the book. It is here that the author is able to utilise the specialist knowledge developed over a long period of research in this area and to tackle many of the issues that have long been the subject of debate in later Roman studies. These debates include the third-century crisis and the interpretation of coin hoards and the construction of town walls. In analysing the monumental and often decorative nature of town walls the author explores social interpretations in addition to responses to military events (128–36).

The military forms an important component of the book, both in terms of its changing nature and its involvement in the historical events of the time. The author emphasises the role of the army in the existence of the Roman Empire since it defended its territory, safeguarded the emperor and underpinned the judicial and fiscal systems (341). Without the army there can be no Roman Empire and this is what makes the discussion in ch. 8 on what happened to the Roman army so interesting and important. This section carefully pieces together the evidence for what happened to the army on the frontier in the fifth century. The military living on the frontier appear now to have been using Germanic material culture which may have made the army more archaeologically invisible but it is less certain how their identities and loyalties changed (348). The issue of ethnicity is also usefully explored in other parts of the book, especially in relation to issues and events concerning ‘barbarians’, including the Visigoths and Franks, where work in the past has often been influenced greatly by political and social circumstances as well as negative comparisons with the civilisation of the Romans. This book provides a more sophisticated examination of the archaeological material and explores the complexities of ethnicity and identity (352–94).

The book contains detailed examination of settlement archaeology exploring the way in which cities and urban life changed in the later Roman period, although the book's organisation does mean that it sometimes feels a little repetitious as it examines the same towns in different sections of the book. The examination of rural settlement is equally important but here it focuses especially on the role of villas, villa economies and the changing role of the élite at this time with very little on the archaeology of non-villa settlements. Here then, the book misses out on the chance of presenting a useful synthesis on non-villa settlements where the majority of the population will have lived and experienced the later Roman period. This would have allowed a more considered approach to the issue of ‘decline’ where interpretations have tended to focus on the perspectives and actions of the élite — a focus continued in this book (especially ch. 5). The same can also be said of religious activity in the later Roman period where there is excellent coverage of Christianity and the traditional religions (150–97) but little on the beliefs and ritual activities of the non-urban and non-villa dwellers.

This book is undoubtedly a major resource, but the themes and material covered do at times feel a little too familiar. The analysis forms an important part of the book but it could perhaps have been taken further through an exploration of different themes that could help to create a more varied and less familiar past so as to ensure that students do not get the impression that theoretically challenging perspectives cannot form a part of late Roman archaeological studies. In particular the book predominantly focuses on the élite perspective rather than exploring the potential of local traditions and experiences. More challenging themes and theoretical approaches can also help to place late Roman archaeology within the wider discipline of Roman archaeology, where there is now a greater emphasis on theory, and archaeology as a whole. When compared with earlier Roman and prehistoric archaeology, late Roman studies still have more of a tendency to reconstruct life and experience in a way that conforms to what is familiar to us today, perhaps because of closer proximity to the medieval world and the presence of textual evidence. There is considerable potential through the rich archaeological material presented here to explore different theoretical perspectives and themes. Apart from this criticism and missed opportunity, the book is an important contribution and is very accessible and well presented.