Caesar (Masters of Rome)

I kept forgetting this was a novel. The problem with historical novels is that one gets drown into the beautifully written story, but the historical facts are all mixed up.
I loved to read this book. It captures the leader personality of Caesar. It presents Caesar in such a good light that makes you wonder why the Romans did not ask him as an emperor! Well, the actuality is that this is just a novel. Reading a history book on Caesar right after finishing this book, I realized that the novel gave a lot of fictional info. I was deeply confused. But the book is great as a novel. The only thing I did not like about it was the fact that the book ends with the death of Pompey at the hand of two Egyptians. Caesar, although victorious, is left behind, with no word of his ascension as a dictator.

The book left me hanging, hence the other historical book I had to rapidly read in order to complete the info in my head. Maybe the novel was purposely finished that way, so one would go ahead and read the next Caesar novel, about Caesar and Cleopatra. However, I was disappointed with the lack of historical accuracy of "let the dice fly" that I did not make the attempt to read another book by Colleen McCullough.

That being the case, I think Colleen McCullough is a great novel writer with an attractive style that wont get you bored.

McCullough is one of those writers that require you to switch off some of your critical faculties if you are to make it through 700 pages (and every book in her Caesar series is that long) without whingeing on every page. Her dialogue is merely serviceable. Every character sounds much like every other, and their speech is annoyingly modern. The trick with historical novels is not rendering authentic speech - which would be unreadable - but simply avoiding language of the most recent coinage. "The idea being to keep the besieged inside and negate any possibility of aid and supplies coming from the outside," says Caesar. That "negate any possibility of" is just ultra-modern verbal fluff. It would read so much better if you replaced the whole phrase with a single word like "block" or "prevent".

Some of her descriptive sallies just leave you scratching your head. Caesar's mother Aurelia is described at least twice in the series as having "ice-brown" hair, which means no more to me than "lemon-pink" or "sky-green".

On the other hand, McCullough is a good action writer, reversing the stereotype of the woman novelist. She's a bit like Hammond Innes, who isn't much good indoors, but when he gets out into the snow and ice and hurricanes and raging seas the quality jumps up several notches. She's at her best on the move - across the Alps, down into the plains, digging the fortifications, moving up the cohorts. Her description of the siege of Alesia is worth the price of the book all by itself.

Others have pointed to her Caesar-worship as an irritation, but it doesn't bother me in itself, only where it leads her to bend historical facts in his favour. She gives the impression that Titus Labienus was dropped from the team when Caesar crossed the Rubicon, owing to his bloodthirsty record. The probable truth is more prosaic. Labienus was Pompey's client, and could be expected to support his patron when the chips were down. But she has a tendency to give a bad press to all Caesar's enemies. In her hands, Pompey himself is turned into a bit of a clown. You could put it down to novelist's licence, but there are occasional errors that don't fall under that head. Her illustration of the siege-works at Avaricum shows her drawing an onager and calling it a ballista. But it's at least a century too soon for the onager. She also thinks torches placed along the pallisades of a fort will light up the attackers rather than the defenders.

McCullough won't win any literary prizes, but she does tell a cracking story. I've got through five of the six volumes in the last two years without begrudging the time, and I look forward to The October Horse as the culmination of a splendid series.

At the end of "Caesar's Women", McCullough's claim is that the next book would have been titled "Let the Dice Fly". Instead, she named it "Caesar", which is quite revealing in the book's content. I loved the book, but would have liked a bit more emphasis on some of the other characters. Curio, for instance, is presented as a throughly likeable character, yet he is just skimmed over, Mark Antony also, at this point in his life was a character who could have added a great deal of life and fun to the novel, along with Marcus Caelius. The other characters simply were not given their due, which was a pity. Caesar, on the other hand, is developed that bit too much, and it does become quite tedious. I admit that on first reading of the book, I skipped large parts in order to get away from Caesar and to find a contrast. For those familiar with ancient Rome, McCullough's idolisation of Caesar does become somewhat irritating, especially when this meant other famous historical characters were cut down to accomodate this great man. Where is Cicero, for example, he is barely mentioned considering his power and influence at this point. Brutus also disappears into the shadows, mentioned only occasionally. The young womanising alcohol-abusing Marcus Antonius we see only fleeting glances of. This is a great pity because this book is brilliantly written and researched - but Caesar loses his charm and appeal after a while.
Like many of the people writing in on this page, I am eagerly awaiting "The October Horse" and would be very grateful for any information. In the meantime however, Allan Massie offers a scandulous Rome, littered with sex, drama and, I hate tosay, inaccuaracy! however, it is a very interesting read. Also Steven Saylor's books are excellent, well researched and interesting, and Taylor Caldwell's book, "A Pillar Of Iron" offers a different view on Cicero and his contemporaries. Despite the hero-worship of caesar, McCullough and Saylor are without a doubt the best writers on this period in ancient Rome.

I not only strongly recommend this entire series; I consider this book to be the msot powerful and most fully realized of the series. Now that we're finally out of the Roman womens' boudoirs (so prevalent in Caesar's Women) and out on the good Roman roads, where a Man can be a Man, Caesar gets to be The Man. The battle scenes are excellent amd absorbing; McCullough's management of strategy and tactic are comprehensive, and the character of Caesar is never more compelling and dramatic then he is in this book. (I can't help myself: Boni = U.S. Republican? You decide!) Don't miss the next one, The October Horse, either.

I started this book not knowing that Colleen McCullough had written others before it. I was a little lost and I even studied Classical history and Latin in college. If you don't know much about this time period I suggest you read a short bio of Caesar's life. It will probably keep you from getting too confused. But remember this no reflection on the fabulous writing, it is in the nature of writing about ancient Rome where it seems every one had the same name.

I found this novel very engrossing. It was very long and felt it, but there wasn't a part of the book that I didn't enjoy reading. I will gladly read more in the series. This segment of the story follows Caesar from the death of his daughter and the occupation of Britian to just before his rise to Imperator. The conquest of Gaul is fascinating. Colleen McCullough opens a window into the mind of a genius.

Overall a very good read. One I would recommend to anyone who likes studying the ancient world.

I loved the previous books by McCullough. I thought First Man in Rome was tremendous, as were the next two titles. With the emergence of Caesar, however, McCullough seems less and less interested in concentrating on anything else.
I get it already - Caesar is brilliant, scrupulous, and honest. Oh, did I mention brilliant? While I can certainly ignore the historical problems with this, I got tired of reading a romantic paean to Caesar by the end of the book. This guy literally does nothing wrong. If anything, his flaw is that he's too gifted, something I'm sure we're all wishing on our enemies. Due to the infallibility of the character, the book gets bogged down in hero-worship.
The scholarship is still outstanding for a novelist, certainly more than I have a right to expect. The language is good, and it generally does not read like a soap opera, despite the hero-worship of Caesar. McCullough seemed to be much better at writing books where she has less emotional investment in the characters. The earlier portraits of Sulla, Marius and Young Pompey were wonderful. But Caesar simply consumes too much of her attention and emotion; there is almost nothing left for anyone else. In Caesar's Women the genius that was Caesar was a novel and interesting approach, in Caesar it got tiresome, and I hope McCullough corrects this problem in her next work, which I still expect to be excellent.
The plot, which should be mentioned, is the fall of the Roman republic. Caesar schemes to get command in Gaul, where he defeats the Gauls, with this occupying much time in the book, and deservedly so. Next he confronts the Senate who are foolish enough to challenge him unnecessarily. He crosses the Rubicon, takes Rome, fails to broker a peace and finally defeats Pompey at Pharsalus. From here we are taken to Egypt, and the short entrance of Cleopatra, upon which the book ends. For those who are familiar with Suetonius, Appian or Plutarch, the main details are right on. Except, of course, that Caesar manages to do everything genius, while his opponents are a peevish vicious lot of stupid jealous men. The portrayal of Brutus as a moneyhungy mama's boy is an interesting one though - not quite the same as Shakespeare's.
In short, the worship of Caesar by McCullough drags this book down from a potential 5/5. By the end I longed to read about the other personalities involved, much like when McCullough switched from Sulla to Marius with great ease. This is a good and reccomended book, albeit with one major flaw.

As a history student, I initially mistook 'Caesar' the novel as an actual historical biography. I had a pleasant surprise in store for me. Many historical novels just have ideas about character presentation, not about wars fought or politics. McCullough is a refreshing change, and puts a whole new outlook upon the novelization of history.
It must be said, however, that McCullough's Caesar is an altogether infuriating character - a hero so handsome, so clever, so calm and unflinching to be somewhat unrealistic. Even his friends and allies are presented as being rather hopeless in comparison. The magnificant Pompey the Great as an unsubtle blunderhead from the country, Cicero a weak, wavering man, Mark Antony foolish and impulsive, Cato a raving lunatic - all characteristics handed down throughout history, yes, but these men were more than this and it is a pity that these great historical figures are not given their due. Opinion is unavoidable when writing about history, of course, but one might be tempted to question whether the affairs in ancient Rome at this time were such that one man alone could resolve them, whilst the others tried to stop him. Difficult to justify!
That said, this is overall one of the most impressive pieces of work I have read. The writing style is incredible - read about Clodius' death on the Via Appia, or Fulvia's reaction on learning that her beloved second husband is dead. You'll soon see what I mean. The characters, despite coming from a remote age, are accessible characters whom we can relate too, facing the same joys, fears and problems that we are facing today. I cannot reccomend this book strongly enough even for those who are not experts on Roman history. Read it - you'll sooon feel as if you are!

This is a note to those below me. Unfortunately, don't hold your breath waiting for the next book. She published a book in 1998, called: 'The Song of Troy'. It is a wonderful book, in a very unique style, based on the 'Illiad'. (A bit short, though.) I haven't seen it in the US, but you can get it via the store.uk if you're interested. She is currently writing a biography about an Australian figure. (general? - I think) If this was the last in her series I'd be miserable.

The first four books in McCullough's series of novels about first century BC Rome were highly enjoyable, but this one disappoints. There is too much summarizing and too little characterization. As someone familiar with the history of the period, I became bored at times by all the background information that was simply narrated rather than being worked into the plot of the novel. The quality of the writing was also inferior to that found in some of Ms. McCullough's earlier books.

For Plutarch the life of Caesar was the most important biographical study he ever undertook as it made the lives of all the other eminent men and women he studied, save perhaps Alexander's, pale by comparison. Caesar became the standard against all the other lives were measured (and to some extent found wanting). The mind and personality of Julius Caesar was essentially mysterious to the great biographer and has remained so for thousands of other scholars, historians, biographers and politicians down through the centuries.

All who study the man with an open mind are moved to profound admiration, fear, awe and perhaps some revulsion. A reading of Plutarch's analyses of the other men and women who lived and interacted with Caesar during the great man's lifetime suggests that Plutarch may even have thought that none of these great men and women would have attained to eminence and glory had it not been for Caesar. It is as if the great man called these other men and women out of the shadows of history and their very existence as historical actors depended on actions and character of Caesar. Caesar's friends and enemies would not have found themselves or their talents if Caesar have not existed. Its not just that Caesar `influenced' those around him...that of course is the case for every man who ever lived. No. It is more accurate to say that Caeasar called into existence the latent abilities of all of those around him. Cicero, Brutus, Cato, Antony, Cleopatra, Pompey, Crassus...none of them would ever have found their talents had it not been for Caesar. There are certain personalities in history who when you encounter them present you with a fateful choice, even a `moment of destiny'. If you choose to interact with that personality you will grow and shine. If you refuse you will diminish.

Shakespeare knew this to be the case concerning Caesar. The bard was so awed by the personality of Caesar that he in his play `Julius Caesar' struck on an ingenious method for exploring the character of the great man. He would approach the mystery from afar. He would examine the lesser men around him. He would analyze reactions of these lesser men to the great man in hopes of discovering something approachable in the man's character. This was Plutarch's method as well. Shakespeare decided to focus in particular on Brutus because Plutarch insinuated some ambiguity about the relationship between Caesar and Brutus...Was Brutus the son of the great man?-after all Brutus' mother was known to be the lover of Caesar many years previously and Caesar always strangely treated Brutus with extraordinary affection. He trusted Brutus -even after Brutus opposed him.

Brutus was, according to Plutarch, interesting in other ways as well. Unlike Cicero, Brutus was less opportunistic and more principled. Yet unlike Cato he was less fanatical and rigid in his principled stands about the republic. Thus he displayed that primary Plutarchan virtue of political discretion. He was also a good, even a great public speaker and knew how to command the loyalty of friends. He had greatness in him ...except when it came to Caesar. His relationship with Caesar overshadowed his entire life. Caesar kept trying to elevate him and Brutus kept on running from Caesar. Shakespeare has Brutus' friend Cassius sum up the impact of Caesar on those around him when he says to Brutus:

"Why, man, he (Ceaser) doth bestride the narrow world

Like a Colossus, and we petty men

Walk under his huge legs and peep about

To find ourselves dishonorable graves.

Men at some time are masters of their fates:

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,

But in ourselves that we are underlings."

What did Shakespeare discover about Caesar the man? Shakespeare the artist used the impact of Caesar on Brutus (and later on Antony and Cleopatra) to reveal Caesar the man. The play's (Julius Caesar) dramatic attention riveted on the cold-blooded murder of Caesar by Brutus and his co-conspirators but Shakespeare shows us that Brutus was not merely a cold-blooded murderer. He hesitated before joining the conspiracy. According to Shakespeare Brutus hesitates because he is unsure if the assassination will help or hurt the chances for restoring the republic. In Plutarch Brutus hesitates he did not know if the people of Rome would applaud him or kill him for the deed. If they applauded him he would gain political power. If they recoiled from the deed he would be finished politically.

Thus, Shakespeare wants us to believe that the impact of Caesar on Brutus concerns a strategic and moral vision for what Rome could be. Brutus was forced to consider what the meaning and destiny of Rome would be had Caesar lived. After the murder Brutus lost his moral anchor, inexplicably abandoned Rome and drifted into and into civil war with Antony who sought to revenge the murder of his master and leader. Brutus' abandonment of Rome after the murder proves for Plutarch that Brutus' motives were less than noble and that Caesar had at this point in his life become synonmous with Rome itself. Shaekespeare understood all of this.

We see a similar analysis of Caesar's impact on others in Shakespeare's `Antony and Cleopatra'. After the death of Caesar, the potentially great Antony falls under the influence of a scheming women and contributes to the ruin and devastation of Rome during the civil wars. While Caesar lived Antony somehow managed to be a great military and political leader. Without the steadying hand of Caesar however Antony died spiritually.

Whether as supporters (Marc Antony), competitors (Pompey and Crassus), or enemies (Brutus, Cicero and Cato), Caesar elicited extraordinary actions and talents from these men. Caesar, in fact, retained his capacity to activate greatness and ferocious opposition down through the centuries. A single anecdote will describe what I mean: a proverbial (and suspect acc to Chernow's recent bio of hamilton) story has it that when Alexander Hamilton at a dinner party where most of the other founding fathers of the America republic were present declared that he thought that Caesar was the greatest man who ever lived he scandalized and shocked Madison, Jefferson and Adams-all of whom feared the emergence of a Caesar during the early days of the republic. These men later became Hamilton's implacable foes in the battles around the political and economic shape of the early republic.

So who was Caesar? He was the true founder of the Roman empire and the embalmer of the Roman republic. He ended the republican and initiated the imperial age of Rome's greatness. The Roman republic could not contain a man like him. Like Alciabiades he was astonishingly gifted. He was a man of wide learning and culture who possessed extraordinary personal charm, eliciting intense devotion from his personal friends and from the numerous women in his life. All his life he carried on licit and illicit affairs with women, particularly those like Servilia, (Cato's step-sister and mother to Brutus, one of Ceaser's later assassins) and Cleopatra who, of course, exhibited exceptional beauty, learning, ambition and political shrewdness. Ceaser's relationships with women illustrate one of the most striking facts about Ceaser's character and life: His friends, enemies and lovers were some of the greatest personalities of all time. For example, his enemies in the political realm, Cato and to some extent Cicero, are universally considered to be some of the finest political thinkers and tacticians of all time. His enemies on the battlefield, such as Vercingetorix and Pompey are likewise considered two of the finest military generals of all time. But the above does not exhaust the treasures in Caesar's story or personality: He was also a remarkable administrator, diplomat and writer. His Gallic Wars is considered on eof the finest pieces of prose ever written. He military exploits in Gaul and in Britain have earned him the title of the greatest military genius of all time from none other than Napoleon! He could exhibit the most astonishing compassion and the most revolting brutality on the battlefield. His soldiers above everyone else loved him to the point of madness. His famous 10th Legion would have and (did) do anything the man asked of them. Perhaps the word that best captures the man's character is `audacity'. But ultimately all of the above do not capture the essential character of the man. What made him tick? We can only turn to the biographers, scholars and artists for help in answering the question.

the novelist Colleen McCullough tackles the task of unraveling the character of caesar in her novel Caesar...let the dice.. Like Shakespeare she allows us to see Caesar by observing his impact on others including his allies and enemies. Her novel is set in the tumultuous years of 54 to 48 B.C. when Caesar's genius was rising to full noon. She covers the uprising of Gaul under Vercingetorix, Pompey's alliance with the reactionary aristocratic party of the boni, Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon and his victory at Pharsalus and she gives us remarkable portraits of Pompey, Cato, Cicero, Brutus, Mark Antony and others as they try to deal with the giant Caesar. We see Caesar mourning the death of his daughter, Julia, who was also Pompey's wife. Entirely plausibly McCullough has Caesar engage in affair with a Helvetian noblewoman who because of her love of the great man is cruelly tortured and put to death. Like his soldiers, she does not complain that she dies for Caesar.

At the time of Caesaer's crossing of the Rubicon roughly 99% of the state's wealth was controlled by a tiny percentage of the Roman elite... After the crossing of the Rubicon and the resultant rise of caesar that dramatic economic disparity began to change after Caesar's reforms were passed. (When Octavius later solidified these reforms they became the basis of Roman stability for centuries.) Before Caesar there had been centuries of conflict and failure in attempts at reform...By the 60s B.C., the poor populace had begun to find spokesmen among such leaders as the tribunes Tiberius Gracchus and his younger brother, Gaius. Although the Gracchi attempted to introduce various reforms, they were eventually murdered, and the reform movements withered. Caesar, attempted to carry through some of the Gracchi's reforms using Clodius as his point man when Caesar was subduing Gaul. When Clodius was murdered by the aristocratic party (this event by the way is vividly portrayed in McCullough's novel) Caesar became even more determined to carry through the reforms. Caesar's recommendation of leniency for the Catiline conspirators was consistent with his reform position because many Roman citizens were like the Catiline conspirators in debt up their ears and the citizens of the Roman republic were crying out for debt relief. Debt relief and land reform however was ferociously opposed by the so-called defenders of liberty Cato and Cicero.

caesar was one of the few politicians at the time who had the strength to successfully challenge the entrenched corruption of the so-called `optimates' whose representatives (Cicero, Cato, Brutus and the like) were sainted by later historians. These latter politicians faced a tragic situation in that they seemed to realize that no reform was possible unless you gutted the republic and that meant for them the utter loss of liberty...it is tragic that they could not see aa way to have reform and liberty... Caesar thought he had found a way...his way necessitated a temporary dictatorship of Rome and perhaps even a conquest of Persia...what is amazing is that Caesar was willing to attempt to implement this strategic vision and thus the key to his character must lie somewhere in the realm of 'audacity' and fearlessness...but who knows?

For those of us non-scholars who loved I CLAUDIUS, this is another great historical novel.
While not quite a stand alone work (you really must know some Roman History to enjoy this book) it is an engrossing recreation of some of the last years of the Roman Republic.
Details of the Roman Senators' maneuvers against Caesar have some very interesting parallels with the recent mayhem in Washington, D.C. Surely this must have been the author's intention!
I'm hooked, and now I'm off to read the others in the series.
Note: There are an alarming number of typos in this edition. The author has done such a wonderful job of research--you'd think a few more copy editors would check things out before it went to mass market printing.

Colleen has one big problem. She just loves old Caesar too much. She either glosses over or justifies his barbarity during the Gallic wars and continues to worship him through the mists of time. The other big problem with this book is that it is nowhere near as exciting as the previous ones. Major battles which would have been explained and narrated brilliantly in The Grass Crown are dealt with in the most cursory fashion. This is a shame when you're talking about the most gifted general of all time. The description of Sulla's victories are a prime example of how well Colleen can do this. I get the feeling that Colleen is just getting a bit bored with the whole thing.

For all those eagerly awaiting the October Horse, and wondering what on earth "Morgan's Run" is, then do not despair! Colleen McCullough had to change publishers and they asked her to take a break from Rome. So "The October Horse" and the one after that currently titled "The Queen of Beasts" (?) ARE being written, and should be with us soon.
Moving on from that, therefore, a word about "Caesar". The novel is, quite simply, a pleasure to read. The care lavished on it, in its drawings, maps, glossary, and of course the plot itself which is the fall of the Roman Republic. It's great!

Maybe "Caesars women'" was more juicy, maybe "The Grass Crown" was more gripping, but I enjoyed this book as much as any on the subject. This period in the roman history is a prelude to, or even the beginning of the imperial era. The gallic wars for all their fame did not have a good novelised version. I wished I had had this before having to translate De Bello Gallico as a student some years ago: it would have put it into perspective!

As an avid reader of strategicial and tactical warfare I found the Master of Rome series lacking significantly in descriptions of the battles themselves. The author describes (quite well) the political nature of the Roman society and brings to life the characters in her books, but seems to lack an understanding of the way a Roman army fought (and won). She's great on sieges (which were important in the Cesears conquests) but fails to the deliver on the battles themselves.
Apart from that I found her books to be exceptionally good.

What an enlightening book about those ancient Roman times, told in a way depicting the people with human emotions similar to ours. This series brings me into the time in a way which I can relate to as a modern(?) day individual. I only wish there were quick reference pages to show all the characters & their relationships & family tree. I sometimes get lost in who's who, especially if the name hasn't been mentioned in a while. Great, entertaining reading. I am anxiously awaiting the next book. I hope it comes out soon before I forget who is who!

Another in the quality series of books about the Roman Empire from McCullough. This one, however, lacks the depth of character so evident in the previous novels. In saying this, it is still an enthralling read, and I look forward to the next in the line.

It is indeed possible to bite one's fingernails while reading. This book has been my little reward to myself after the kids are in bed, and I find that I am awake turning pages well into the night. Yes, I've studied history, and yes, I know what happens, but McCullough manages to maintain suspense. If there isn't some producer out there looking into the movie rights, there is no intelligence in Hollywood. Can't wait until the next one in the series!

McCullough has managed to penetrate the thoughts of Roman men again. Her dissection of the ethnocentricity of the Roman culture is brilliant . Like the other books of this series she has made an attempt and succeeded at making lecture, war, and love all equally fascinating while giving us a wonderful history lesson. I wait impatiently for the next of this series.

This series has been a superb read; from The First Man in Rome to this book. I have re-read them all several times, and found new aspects each time. Ms. Mcollough's Caesar character rings true. He was a peerless man who found himself hated andalienated by his contemporaries. Because he had the ability to overwhelm the status quo, the context of his times required that he do so. Had he lived, would the Republic have been restored? SEE: I Claudius by Robert Graves.

Colleen McCullough did it again. This book is easy to read, wonderfully written, and usually accurate with one exception, Caesar was anything but a nice guy. The Historical facts show Caesar to be more like Hitler and Stalin than anyone else. He displaced entire populations, he sold the people he defeated into slavery, women and young girls were used as concubines for his solders (anyone remember what Milosevic's soldiers did to girls as young as 12).
Though very interesting reading, Colleen McCullough needs to remember that young people who read these 'Historical' accounts, will believe them to be 100% accurate. It must be remembered by future generations that Caesar had a very dark side. Those who commit GENOCIDE, such as Caesar, are not hero's but the Devil come down to earth to reek havok on the unsuspecting.

I am a fervent reader of historical fiction, and this is definitely a book I praise - it's rare that you get such a thorough and accurate novel on Caesar - and interesting, too! McCullough brings not only Caesar to life, but Magnus Pompeius, Marcus Cato, Marcus Brutus, Calpurnia, Marc Antony, and others. I don't believe there's a part that she missed! Be fascinated, and learn, too!

I've read this entire series twice now, from Caesar: A Novel all the way to last book and then on to Antony and Cleopatra. Colleen McCullough is a masterful writer. She takes you back to the very beginnings of the Roman Empire and thrusts you into the dirt, grime, warfare and politics that were shaping one of the greatest empires on earth. Her writing is vivid and her characters are realistic. There is nothing lacking in these books, and I would recommend them highly to any reader of Roman history or historical fiction.

Colleen Mccullough's latest book Caeser, took me back to ancient rome, and introduced me to those who changed history.The passion felt by Cato, the strength that Julius Caesar radiates... I can not wait for the next in the series!

Laden with historical information and obsessions of one Marcus Antonius's. The only interest that this book held for me was to give further historical insight into the world which Margaret George brought to life in 'The Memoirs of Cleopatra'.
I think that the book suffered from over extension.. i.e. there was just too much information about too many people being crammed into an average sized novel. The book could have just as aptly been titled Pompey the Great....

The Masters of Rome series is unquestionably my favorite series of books. Colleen McCullough is a formidable storyteller, who manages to combine historical scholership and accuracy, with the excitment and pace of an action adventure novel.

Whilst I enjoyed "Caesar", it was certainly not the best book in the series. It seemed to lack the vitality of the previous books. Nevertheless I am anxiously awaiting the release of the next book to continue the adventure.