In For the Love of Rome, John Ferris conveys his excitement in discovering the city of Rome through language that moves those unfamiliar with the enchanted city, as well as those who have often been there. The book is not about wars, persecutions, internal struggles for power within Roman and Vatican rule, nor cultural development. As Ferris said, "The book is about our experiences in [mid-1960s and -1970s] Rome, what drew my wife and me there, and what we learned by seeing and reading." The style is witty, amusing, and unfailingly interesting as he relates historical anecdotes and reveals Rome's impact on various major figures, including Charles Dickens, James Joyce, and many more.