Could anyone recommend a book or a documentary on the rise and fall of the roman empire? If its a book I would like a good read, size doesnt matter, but I dont like books which are intended for historians or professors. I would love something to get me into the topic first.
"The rise and fall of the Roman Empire" is a huge topic and I honestly don't know of any book, academically oriented or otherwise, which adequately covers the entire period. There are some books that can help to give you a sense of the Roman world and which can help to orientate you, so that you can focus in detail on whatever interests you most.
Robin Lane Fox, The Classical World; An Epic History of Greece and Rome - Despite the over-the-top title, this is a decent bird's eye view of Classical history up to Constantine (IIRC). Not the most exciting style in the world, but solid on narrative and information, plus it includes lots on the Greek world, which was the foundation for much of Rome's culture.
Tom Holland, Rubicon - A great, very engaging, introduction to the late Republican period, seen by most as the key period in Rome's history. All your favorite Romans are here (Caesar, Pompey, Crassus, Sulla, Cicero) plus Holland makes very good use of the primary sources for a popular history.
Adrian Goldsworthy has numerous books on ancient Rome, including one on the fall of Rome (n.b. which I havn't personally read). He's an engaging writer, if a little stiff at times, but he's a real expert on the military side of things and gets really in-depth on things like tactics and the nitty-gritty of battles and sieges. The Fall of Carthage, which is a history of the Punic Wars, is my favorite of his.
For the fall of Rome, which is often treated separately and studied more by early medievalists/late antiquists than by classicists, try Peter Heather, The Fall of the Roman Empire. Although not all historians will agree with his explanations, Heather gives a nice clear narrative and a great introduction to the major issues with the period.
All of the books suggested also have decent bibliographies, which you can then use to read up on the things which interest you in more detail. They should also all be easy and cheap enough to get a hold of, especially is you buy second-hand online.
Or, alternatively, you could try the AskHistorians book recommendations list!