Gibbon's six volume set is a collection of history books that I often hear a lot about. I only have a general understanding of Roman History and thought that with Christmas approaching the collection may make a very nice present for myself.

However, it is my understanding that the books were written over two hundred years ago. Would what Gibbon's wrote in the book still be considered reputable or has the general understanding of Roman history changed since the time in which he was writing? I'd hate to read the books only to learn that I'd been studying outdated or inaccurate information.