Rating: 
Summary: Ancient Rome in a Modern Light
Review: We tend to view the ancient Greeks and Romans as marble statues, cold, noble, and remote. Anthony Everitt's biography of Marcus Tullius Cicero brings the world of the late Roman Republic to life in all its excess, wealth, violence, and glory. The central figure is Cicero himself, who strove to maintain the traditional Roman governmental structure in the face of heavy opposition from both the populares or reformers and the optimates or conservatives. Everitt uses modern terminology to help us understand the issues and personalities and complexities of Cicero's life and times. I recommend this book to Roman scholars and to general readers who, for example, enjoyed the "I, Claudius" miniseries on Masterpiece Theater in the 1970s or Steven Saylor's "Roma Sub Rosa" mysteries (which feature Cicero as a major character).
Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating read that somehow minimizes its star
Review: I read this last week while I was in Rome; I picked it up to have something "topical" on vacation. It was a great, easy-to-read introduction to Cicero and his times. It reads like a modern biography (chronologically, from birth to death) rather than an explanation of his written works and philosophy. If you don't know the era or the man, this is a wonderful place to start.I was, however, left a wee bit disappointed on two fronts: first, Everitt's balanced perspective brought the myth down to size, by showing that Cicero was capable of changing his political decisions when expedient, by showing his somewhat self-centered personality, and by demonstrating his philosophy was derivative rather than original. In other words, the book implies he was a fine talker, but doesn't seem to have had many good qualities beyond that. I think a book that spent more time on his writings themselves would draw a different conclusion (and I'm guessing that the Cicero enthusiasts reading this review would dislike a book that appeared to take this position). Second, Everitt goes to great effort to put Cicero in his historic context, spending a lot of time explaining what else was going on in the republic. This is very useful for novices like me but if you are already familiar with Roman history it will not be new to you. But again, it makes Cicero seem like just one of the players rather than a towering literary figure. Overall, though, it was an extremely enjoyable book. I recommend it!
Rating: 
Summary: Cicero Meets Biography on A&E
Review: Anthony Everitt's biography of Cicero is a fine yet pedestrian account of the ancient politician. In almost every respects, it could serve as the basis for an A&E or History Channel documentary; it outlines the basic facts, presents a scandal or two, but does nothing to engage the mind or reveal deep truths about the human condition. This book is neither insightful nor provocative, like Christian Meier's Caesar. Nor does Everitt adequately explain why Cicero held such a fascination for generations to come, including (if not especially) our own founding fathers, John Adams in particular. And for a biography about a man best remembered for his writings, precious little space is spent discussing Cicero's written ideas. One gets more of a sense of Cicero as a person from Colleen McCullough's fictional Masters of Rome series. That's the negative. The positive is that Everitt's account is well-presented and the events surrounding Cicero's life are inherently interesting. Everitt particularly shines in depicting Cicero's activities after Caesar's assassination, arguing that for the few short months left to his life Cicero was the preeminent man of the hour - mainly because he was the last one of the elder generation left standing. The bottom line is that Everitt's Cicero is a book that nobody should regret reading. It's a fine review of the end of the Roman Republic, and a good refresher course for those who maybe haven't visited Ancient Rome in a while. Those looking for some substance, however, and those who are serious Roman scholars, will be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Read about Rome and the Romans
Review: Marius Tullius Cicero (106-43 B.C.) was a famous Roman orator, author, government administrator and political figure who lived during exciting times in Roman history. His father was educated and well-to-do, so Cicero himself received an excellent education - both at home and later from high-ranking orators, philosophers and legal authorities. Cicero was an ambitious man, but his options for success were limited. Being a gentle man, with limited physical courage, he had no interest in a military career. Being middle class he could count on little support from the wealthy or the nobly born. He realized early, however, that he had scholarly and oratorical talents - so he opted for a career in law and politics. Late in life, when he had acquired too many powerful political enemies to continue in law practice or politics, he turned to writing. His specialty was Greek philosophy and rhetoric, which he translated from the original Greek into Latin. Since many of the original Greek works were lost to the ravages of history, Cicero's greatest legacy to future scholars and historians became these Latin language translations and his explanations of these Greek works. Cicero was also a prolific letter writer and in his letters to friends and relatives he shed much light on everyday life in Rome in the first century B.C. and about the lives of many of its prominent citizens (i.e., Julius Ceasar, Octavian, Mark Antony, Atticus - and others).
Some scholars like to see significant parallels between Rome and the United States: both acquired great empires - somewhat reluctantly; both created republican-style governments as a result of previous bad experiences with a monarchy; both created governments, thus, with numerous built-in "checks and balances" on powers - to preclude any government takeover by a new monarch or dictator; both experienced periods of serious "gridlock" - the result of the failure of their various parties/factions to compromise on contested issues; Rome's empire finally grew too large to control or defend, while the U.S. "empire" (I.e., its world-wide commitments and responsibilities) continues to grow and to raise fears that it too will one day succumb to inner and external enemies.
Cicero loved Rome and its republican-style government, which provided him with a 'forum' (pun!) where he could showcase his oratorical and legal skills. The fact that Rome was pretty much controlled by a small oligarchy (some 22 families) was also an asset, he thought, since most citizens lacked the knowledge and skills needed to govern competently.
Cicero also had many interesting thoughts on many aspects of life: men, he noted, rule the world and women rule the men; lawyers, he maintained, are not necessarily obligated to uncover the truth of a case - they are simply obligated to win the case for their client (this is, of course, no new lesson for our contemporary Johnny Cochrans); all well-born men should aspire to politics and they should properly prepare themselves for such duties; also, people pay taxes, Cicero notes, because they want peace, tranquility and the rule of law (there remains considerable debate in the U.S. regarding the purpose of taxes).
In conclusion, this is a fine book for the intellectually curious. For others there is always TV.
Rating:
Summary: A biography you can wrap your mind around
Review: Nothing could have cause me to purchase a new book about the Roman Republic until I read Jeff Greenfield's Washington Monthly review of this book, in which Greenfield admitted that his knowledge of the Roman Empire derived mostly from viewings of Gladiator, Ben-Hur, and a Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. With that review, I felt less insecure about purchasing a book that would help fill the void left by my narrow liberal arts education, which occurring in the late 60's and early 70's, emphasized "relevant" topics such as the poetry of rock lyrics. Everitt tells a good story, providing the right amount of historical background to understand how the Republic functioned in its waning days, and of social background to understand how the lives of its citizens and residents affected its functioning, and begin its decay. The characters, who include Cicero, Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, Cleopatra and Brutus, have personalities which drive the story Everitt tells, and are not marble statues set in a dry. monotonous text. Everitt gives us history with an attitude, as Robert Kaplan aptly described Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" (which, as Kaplan urges, is worth reading today too, if one has the time). Anyone who enjoys the touch and feel of a passed era that comes with a well written biography will enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Reads like a novel
Review: Anthony Everitt takes an interesting, more introspective look at Cicero. He takes into account classical historians like Livy or Plutarch but sanitizes their records with thorough scholarly research that makes for a fuller, more updated picture. He doesn't, to my surprise, laud him to no end; if anything, Everitt spends more time exploring Cicero's hubris and his nervousness, traits that led to some political pitfalls. He also discusses the major players - Julius Caesar, Octavian, Antony, etc. - along with lesser-known but prominent figures that won't be found in many books, especially Catalina (a conspirator) and Clodius (Cicero's foe). Through it all, though, Everitt takes on a thoroughly literary tone that offers some respite from the pedagogic stuffiness of other books on Rome. An excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: A well-written biography
Review: Though my own knowledge of Cicero was next to nothing before reading this book, most people will find this biography by Anthony Everitt as a very readable and a well organized book on the life of a remarkable politician, Cicero. A man determined to defend the republic against the tumultous years of war and dictators that brought down the republic and ushered in the first Roman Emperor Augustus. Cicero was gifted as a lawyer, politician and ranked among if not considered the greatest orator in history. He won both friends like Atticus and enemies like Antony. He was a man forced through conviction to support Pompey against Caesar, yet won the admiration of that very man he was so often against, Caesar himself. Caesar, before the war, had asked Cicero to join him in forming what became known as the first triumvirate; Cicero refused. But Cicero was not without his own weaknesses. He could be ruthless at times, extremely boastful, lacking in courage, and unable to make up his mind. Yet his strengths are clear and his influence abundantly clear even though more than 2,000 years have elapsed since his death. This biography of Cicero gives at least a partial glimpse of many of the major players in Rome during his day. From friends and family members like Atticus, Quintas and Marcus Cicero to leading politicians and leaders like Cato, Pompey, Julius Caesar, Antony and Octavian, this extremely well-written biography is a must for any interested reader in the life of Cicero and the decline of the Roman Republic.
Rating:
Summary: An Outstanding Biography
Review: Anthony Everitt has written a highly readable biography of Cicero that has appeal to a general reader and specialists in Roman history. Mr. Everitt's writes passionately about his subject but also recognizes Cicero's faults and failings. I was relieved that Mr. Everitt did not give us extended quotations from Cicero's letters and other works. I have read biographies were the author has relied too heavily on extended quotations from his subject: Mr. Everitt relates Cicero's life in his own words. The book is also well paced with each chapter covering a particular aspect of Cicero's life. For readers new to the study of ancient history, Mr. Everitt includes digressions on Roman marriage ceremonies, the administration of the Roman State administration, what a triumph was and other subjects. I was acquainted with these facts but enjoyed reading them and did not find them intrusive. Mr. Everitt knows Cicero and speaks eloquently on the life of his subject and the period in which he lived. The author provides good background on other important figures in Cicero's life, such as Caesar, Marc Antony, and Sulla, including Cicero's family and his long relationship with Atticus and Pompey. Mr. Everitt, instinctively, know how much detail to include in his book so that the reader is satisfied and not assailed by facts. This is a book that does not disappoint and one that is hard to put down.
Rating:
Summary: Cicero Meets Biography on A&E
Review: Anthony Everitt's biography of Cicero is a fine yet pedestrian account of the ancient politician. In almost every respects, it could serve as the basis for an A&E or History Channel documentary; it outlines the basic facts, presents a scandal or two, but does nothing to engage the mind or reveal deep truths about the human condition. This book is neither insightful nor provocative, like Christian Meier's Caesar. Nor does Everitt adequately explain why Cicero held such a fascination for generations to come, including (if not especially) our own founding fathers, John Adams in particular. And for a biography about a man best remembered for his writings, precious little space is spent discussing Cicero's written ideas. One gets more of a sense of Cicero as a person from Colleen McCullough's fictional Masters of Rome series. That's the negative. The positive is that Everitt's account is well-presented and the events surrounding Cicero's life are inherently interesting. Everitt particularly shines in depicting Cicero's activities after Caesar's assassination, arguing that for the few short months left to his life Cicero was the preeminent man of the hour - mainly because he was the last one of the elder generation left standing. The bottom line is that Everitt's Cicero is a book that nobody should regret reading. It's a fine review of the end of the Roman Republic, and a good refresher course for those who maybe haven't visited Ancient Rome in a while. Those looking for some substance, however, and those who are serious Roman scholars, will be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Well-written history of the Republic's demise
Review: This is a very rare book: an excellent retelling of the Roman Republic's demise within the context of one of it's last great orators and politician, Marcus Cicero. The writing style is very concise, while staying away from dry language. Cicero is displayed in all his greatness and timidity (especially his well-known fear of physical harm). It's remarkable how much Cicero wrote about his life and times. Besides completing his political and philosophical books, Cicero found - it seems - an enormous amount of time to write personal letters to friends. The majority of the facts around this time in Roman history is transmitted through Cicero. This history is highly recommended for the beginner and intermediate Roman history buff. Many of that time period's famous historical figures, incluing Caesar and Antony, are vividly brought to life.
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