Looking for a good book on the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire. Would like it to be as well written as it is informative.

Welcome all recommendations. Thanks.

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is a good choice for the latter part of your request.  Edward Gibbon was a late 18th century historian who did an excellent job on the fall part.  Though he carries the story on right through Byzantine times.

There are many good books on the rise.  Though no single writer seems to stand out here like Gibbons did with the fall.  Michael Grant's books are very good, but he tended to focus on specific events and individuals more than the big story.

I don't know if it is the best, but I have D.M. Low's one volume abridgement of Gibbon.

I've been reading "The History of Rome" by Michael Grant.  It starts with Etruscan cities and goes through the entire Empire.

Even the best book is going to be a readers digest summary.  You're talking about centuries of history condensed into a single book.

Some of the aforementioned authors are good reads, but hopefully you start diving into the in depth biographies of the major players in Roman history...it gives you a fuller picture of the politics and events that shaped history and a much better understanding of the culture and life of everyday Romans.

Anthony Everitt's books are all excellent.

Also, be aware that even the best books out there have relatively little information regarding the rise of Rome.  So much of we we know is from archeology, the passing down of myth and legend, and secondary references to sources and early historians that have since been lost.  Not to mention that historians in antiquity viewed their jobs much differently than modern day historians.  They weren't at all impartial, and they were often less concerned with capturing a chronology of facts for future generations.  Which is why when you read any credible narrative of ancient Rome they usually say "this historian said this, that one said that, and because we know X, Y and Z, this is what I think is most likely to be true" all throughout the book.

My textbook when I took History of Rome at the U of AZ.  Dr. Boak.  Rome to 565 AD

I thought I knew something about the topic until I spent time in Italy.

Their version of the Romans, seems to be a bit different than ours. From what I can figure out after the last visit,  there is a huge issue with exactly how Rome started and by who and when.

 The other matter is the fall of Rome, but not really the fall of the empire.  If I understood correctly, the wealthy moved from Rome to the north such as Florence and Sienna causing the massive centralized power of Rome to fall-they dont really seem interested in the move to Constantinople . Then sometime around the middle ages the Italians seem to think that was a sort of confederation of Roman territories or some such thing.  

One other author worth mentioning is Theodor Mommsen.  His History of Rome was the standard work for many years.

History of Rome, vol 1

Vol 2

Vol 3

Vol 4

Vol 5

I know it's not a book, but the podcasts (audiobooks, really) Dan Carlin put out made it come alive.  

http://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-death-throes-of-the-republic-series/

I think it's archived now, but you should be able to find them.  He also gives his references and recommends books to read.