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Summary:
He found Rome made of clay and left it made of marble. As Rome’s first emperor, Augustus transformed the unruly Republic into the greatest empire the world had ever seen. His consolidation and expansion of Roman power two thousand years ago laid the foundations, for all of Western history to follow. Yet, despite Augustus’s accomplishments, very few biographers have concentrated on the man himself, instead choosing to chronicle the age in which he lived. Here, Anthony Everitt, the bestselling author of Cicero, gives a spellbinding and intimate account of his illustrious subject.
Augustus began his career as an inexperienced teenager plucked from his studies to take center stage in the drama of Roman politics, assisted by two school friends, Agrippa and Maecenas. Augustus’s rise to power began with the assassination of his great-uncle and adoptive father, Julius Caesar, and culminated in the titanic duel with Mark Antony and Cleopatra. The world that made Augustus–and that he himself later remade–was driven by intrigue, sex, ceremony, violence, scandal, and naked ambition. Everitt has taken some of the household names of history–Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, Antony, Cleopatra–whom few know the full truth about, and turned them into flesh-and-blood human beings.
At a time when many consider America an empire, this stunning portrait of the greatest emperor who ever lived makes for enlightening and engrossing reading. Everitt brings to life the world of a giant, rendered faithfully and sympathetically in human scale. A study of power and political genius, Augustusis a vivid, compelling biography of one of the most important rulers in history.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Rating:
A great read of the life of Augustus
Customer Rating:
Augustus is one of those great men in history that standout, and the question that it ask is "How did this guy become 'Great'"? This book attempts to answer how Augustus became one of the greatest rulers in world history.
What also got me interested in Augustus is that, according to the Myers Brigg personality, I am an INTJ and it labeled Augustus as an INTJ as well, and I was curious as to the life of Augustus that would qualify him to be INTJ. Though, the book did not go into his personality, but it did go into his accomplishments, and I think Myers Brigg got it right, he very well maybe an INTJ.
Augustus is responsible for redesigning the empire, one of the reasons it lasted for 400 plus years after his death. He planned everything out, even his successor and the one who would replace him. He looked to the future while planning the present. Very few men in history are capable of that.
The book itself is an easy read and very informative. He relies on primary sources for the book and quotes them when needed, the author seems very knowledgeable in the history of Rome and he created a very good biography of one of the greatest men in history.
I wish there were more books on this great person of history.
History of Rome for everyone
Customer Rating:
Along with Alexander of Macedon, Augustus is arguably the most important ruler of the ancient Western World. This book presents what seems to be the best possible reconstruction of his life, based on documents that survive to our time. The prose is elegant and engaging, and while much of the text is speculative, the author is careful to point out when his sources are insufficient or contradictory.
In a certain sense, the history of Rome during Julius Cesar and Augustus has many parallels with the current state of US politics (domestic and global). A republic and democracy that is slowly coming under control of a dynastic ruling class, just as it became the sole superpower in the (known) world. Much of this is obviously due to the fact that the writer draws from the present to describe the past, which we can only glimpse at through sometimes badly preserved manuscripts. However, there do appear to be certain trends that re-appear throughout histories of empires.
Enjoyable biography
Customer Rating:
Great biography on Augustus! Well written and the average reader (like me!) is in not talked down to by the author and the author - though obviously a highly intelligent and well-versed man on the subject matter, does not flaunt it but makes the read enjoyable and understandable. After watching HBO's Rome series, it was very enjoyable to have the fact sorted out from the fiction as well as to have greater dimension and depth added to the key players in Augustus' long life.
Accurate, Easy to Understand Biography
Customer Rating:
As a student, I only knew the basics of Roman history. Something about this book attracted me. This is an extremely well written, easy to understand history lesson on both Caesar Augustus as well as the Roman Empire. Everitt makes sure to explain every Roman or Latin term he uses. He covers all events througout Augustus' life that I never knew. After reading this book, I feel that I am significantly more knowledgable regarding the pinnacle of the Roman empire. Augustus entertains as well as informs. Highly reccommended.
History's Most Successful Politician
Customer Rating:
Any list of most successful politicians throughout history must include the Emperor Augustus at the top. Victorious at Actium in 31 BC after the chaos that followed the death of Julius Caesar, he was the most powerful man in the Western world until his death in 14 AD. Anthony Everitt's lucid biography gives a great description of the times and political life of the man who established the Roman Empire.
I found this book particularly satisfying after reading "I Claudius" and viewing the HBO production "Rome". The author provides an excellent description of historical context for this fascinating rise from obscurity to preeminence.
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