The First Man in Rome

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Summary: Well focused, vivid, and historically acurate. Not mushy!
Review: This is a rare book. Rarely does a historic drama intrigue me, but this one had depth. The characters were accurate without being dry, and not overly sentimentalized. I honestly could barely tell the book was written by a woman. It gets to the point but still engages the reader with a captivating narrative. Caesar never seemed so alive! Colleen really captures his noble, virile spirit. Bene

Rating:
Summary: This is history come alive.
Review: Love, Sex, Friendship, Betrayal, Politics, Corruption, War! In this, Colleen McCullough's first historical novel in her series on ancient Rome, history comes alive. Gaius Marius claws his way up the cursus honorum (the course of honors) to become the liberal, reform minded First Man in Rome. Along the way he is accompanied by his sinister friend and companion, Lucius Cornelius Sulla. These real historical people are as relevant to today as they were to ancient Rome. The book has an excellent glossary containing detailed information about the Roman political system. It also has several Latin words and phrases that you never learned in high school Latin class.

Rating:
Summary: The start of something epic
Review: Colleen McCullough launches quite a voyage into an amazing period of history with this first volume of the "First Man In Rome" series. While it begins slowly it is no mere expositional foray into the period but actually lays solid groundwork for an incredible journey which will span half a century during one of the most formative periods in western culture. Considering the complex nature of Roman society, culture and politics during the late Republican period this first outing manages to capture a flavor and texture that brings not only its characters but also the entire essense of Rome to life. Should a reader find themselves becoming lost in the richness and scope of this tale, they would do well to move immediately through the balance of the series, consisting of five more volumes, all of which will propel them along a sweeping narrative that culminates in world shaking events that literally changed history. A "must read" for lovers of history (particularly Roman history) and stories of grand scope and dazzling characters.

Rating:
Summary: Quit after 20 pages
Review: I love historical fiction and am a student of Roman history, so one would think that this book was tailor-made for me. I had previously read Colleen McCollough's "Caesar" several years ago and had had mixed feelings on it. When I received a copy of "First Man in Rome," I decided to give her another shot. Big mistake.

I remembered exactly what turned me off about "Caesar" within about 20 pages. Plain and simple--Ms. McCollough writes what I call "porn for women." I'm not exactly a prude and am willing to cut an author a lot of slack when it comes to describing certain practices that were in vogue during certian points in history. But there is an artful way to do this and to put it bluntly, Ms. McCollough's approach is completely ham-handed and gross--worthy more of a Bob Guccione publication.

Don't confuse this stuff with literature or even good historical fiction. It's cheesy romance-schlock. If it's historical fiction you want, try Robert Graves's "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God."

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant historical fiction.
Review: This is a great book. It presents the reader with a dazzling image of ancient Rome, in fact I literally felt transported back to the Rome of the time of Marius. After reading all of McCullough's "Masters of Rome" books (those written as of this date) this one is still my favorite. I've read a fair amount about Rome, but no book that I have read has ever explained Rome's politics and social structure half as well as this one.

Marius is shown as what he was: a giant. I'm not sure that I'm comfortable with McCullough's portrayal of Sulla, but each reader can make that decision for him or her self. This book covers the time period as from shortly before the Jugurthine War (which I never really understood until I read this book) to slightly after Marius' conquest of the German tribes. But this isn't just a book about wars. McCullough takes the readers into the Senate, into private conversations of Roman (and foreign) leaders, and really tries to get at the guts of what was going on in the Roman Republic at this critical stage of its history. Mostly, she succeeds brilliantly.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic read
Review: Colleen McCullough is an amazing author. She has brought to life so many historical/fictional characters from ancient Rome & made them approachable, lovable, sinister, whimsical, power-mad, intelligent and any other adjective I've failed to type. It's a wonderous world that seems a fantasy yet surly isn't. She's done a superb job of filling in fictional details in-between the historical parts. I can't recommend this any higher than five stars. There are six books to this series. I'm happy I have five more to read!

Rating:
Summary: Just amazing
Review: I read this book 6 months ago not knowing a whole lot about the Republic of Rome. Since reading this book, I have dedicated myself to this time period with studying.

This book is amazing. It is my favorite of the series. She brings the characters of Ancient Rome alive with her excellent writing. I am always blown away with how much detail she adds to her writing without bogging down the story. She describes everyday details of Roman life like she was actually there.

I recommend this book to any histroy buff or anyone wanting just a good story.

Rating:
Summary: Master Story Teller
Review: First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough is the book that captured my attention and turned me into a rabid Ancient Roman History fan. She is a master storyteller.

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Summary: One of my favorite books...
Review: In her Masters of Rome Series, Colleen McCollough chronicles the end of the Roman Republic and the birth of the Roman Empire. The entire series is a tour-de-force of historical detail and yet is incredibly well-written and engaging. McCollough successfully brings to life, not only the personalities, but also the nuances of the politics and political institutions of the era. These novels help explain how much our own government was shaped by the Roman Republic.

In this first novel, Gaius Marius emerges as a political force and establishes his relationship with Lucius Cornelius Sulla (another great figure of the era). The forces are put in motion which will ultimately result in the demise of the Republic.

Not only is this a great book, but the entire series keeps you coming back for more.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I have ever read
Review: I have read this book several times, as well as listened to the audio version. I recommend the entire series to anyone interested in how politics truly work. And how families work. And oh yes, it is also about Ancient Rome, but the similarities to the political workings of today cannot be over looked. The author takes a few liberties with history, but not so much that it irritates historians, and she freely admits how she manipulates and why. Read this series!