Last Emperors of the West - Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 36 Part 2

Even after the sack of Rome by the Vandals, there was still some fight left in the western empire.  A series of emperors tried to turn the tide back in favour of the Romans.  They largely failed, and are largely forgotten by all but historians who specialise in the period. But it is instructive to remember that their failure was not inevitable.