Peter Heather and John Rapley

Peter Heather and John Rapley are scholars who combined their expertise to write Why Empires Fall.

Heather is a historian specializing in late Roman and early medieval history, known for his work on the fall of the Roman Empire.

Rapley is a political economist with a focus on development and globalization.

Their collaboration aims to bring historical perspective to contemporary geopolitical issues.

While some readers praised their interdisciplinary approach, others felt their analysis leaned too heavily towards certain political viewpoints.

The authors' backgrounds in academia and previous publications lend credibility to their work, though some critics questioned the strength of their parallels between ancient and modern empires.