A slim, good historical past of the late Roman Empire; a particularly enjoyable Nineties neo-noir; and extra

Greetings from Read Max HQ, and welcome to our weekly roundup column, wherein I select some worthwhile and infrequently ignored books, articles, films, and music to advocate to paying subscribers. For this week’s round-up, I’ve acquired:

• A improbable, superbly written quick historical past of the late Roman Empire;

• articles, columns, newsletters, and essays on why rationalism is a breeding floor for cults and the true tempo of traditional music;

• a enjoyable, traditional Nineties neo-noir with an amazing twist ending; and

• 4 tracks I’ve actually been having fun with.

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Now, the roundup. :