Rating: 
Summary: ...Where the will of great mens forever changes the World
Review: "Audiobook"Imagine, hours after hours immersed into the passioning tragicomedy of the pre-caesar roman republic. Sometimes, authors of historical novel tend to focus on the facts and forget to entertain the reader. Other will make you have a good time but you will not have gotten any new knowledge out of the book. The great author achieves a good balance. This saga is right on target. There is a little for everybody, history, love, family dispute, politics, battles...exactly as in real life. It is realist and it is easy to go along with the greatness of Marius, the Italian with humble origins who wants to be first man in Rome, to follow the devious but focused mind of Sulla, the pervert ambitious aristocrat. But even more interesting, this is the prologue of the Caesar series and we start being acquainted with the Caesar family with Julius' grandfather. Along the book the path of that great character get slowly knitted by the great beings that were his parents and grand-parents. For history lovers with good concentration (there are a lot of similar names) it deserves a passionate read.
Rating: 
Summary: Epic
Review: A great peice of historical fiction. You will feel as if you live in Republican Rome. The authors recreation of this period is flawless. From the villas of the Palatine to the desert of Libya this book IS history. If you have ver quetioned if war was an extension of politics this book will set you straight. The two main characters are both excellent Generals and Politicians, and yet are extremely different people. I am too poor a writter to put into words the charecterizations in this book. You will love Mariu, hate Numidicus and respect Scaurus. Sulla you will both love and hate, but respect most of all. This book got me so interested in the period I read the first hand account by the historian Sallust on whose The Jugurthan War half of this book is based. If you have read this book take heart that the snail merchant's rout up the mountain strongold of Jugurtha actually happened. This book is simply exceptional.
Rating:
Summary: Bling
Review: As I placed Colleen McCullough's The First Man in Rome down on the table when I had finished it, I felt anticipation at the thought of reading the second book, Fortune's Favorites. McCullough manages to incorporate the historical events of this Roman era with the typical day to day pastimes of Senators, wives, and slaves. It seems that dozens of plots occur in this rich text that are all intriguing and different, but at the end of the day she is able to tie them all into to one another and the protagonists of the tale. As a student of the Roman arena, I found myself drawn in by the history. Then questioning whether or not these events major events occurred as she so well stated. I even found myself researching the authenticity of the story, relieved to find that my worries were unwarranted and aside from liberties she may have needed to take in conversations among the characters, found that I could enjoy and learn simultaneously from the text that I read. In addition, I have never seen a better portrayal of Gaius Marius. In his character are all the traits of kindness, pragmatics, and genius on the battle field. However, the perfect "right arm" to him in the novel is Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Following the events that history has placed as her guidelines for the story, McCullough has taken what she has been dealt and turned it into straight flush.
Rating:
Summary: ...Where the will of great mens forever changes the World
Review: "Audiobook" Imagine, hours after hours immersed into the passioning tragicomedy of the pre-caesar roman republic. Sometimes, authors of historical novel tend to focus on the facts and forget to entertain the reader. Other will make you have a good time but you will not have gotten any new knowledge out of the book. The great author achieves a good balance. This saga is right on target. There is a little for everybody, history, love, family dispute, politics, battles...exactly as in real life. It is realist and it is easy to go along with the greatness of Marius, the Italian with humble origins who wants to be first man in Rome, to follow the devious but focused mind of Sulla, the pervert ambitious aristocrat. But even more interesting, this is the prologue of the Caesar series and we start being acquainted with the Caesar family with Julius' grandfather. Along the book the path of that great character get slowly knitted by the great beings that were his parents and grand-parents. For history lovers with good concentration (there are a lot of similar names) it deserves a passionate read.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Historical Fiction
Review: Colleen McCullough's "The First Man in Rome" expertly weaves social, political and linguistic history to create a gripping page turner. The story paints an excellent picture of the lives of individuals and the period as a whole without ever loosing the thread that pulls you to the plot's conclusion. It seems to me that this book was well researched as well and is much better than some of the other "historical" (read pure) fiction about Caeser. I highly recommend this book. Try this series and then Robert Grave's I Claudius and you can enjoy a vivid window into history from 110 B.C. until 40? A.D.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Kick-Off of Titanic Series
Review: Colleen McCullough's "The First Man in Rome" is a magnificent, towering portrait of the men (and, to a lesser extent, the women) who unknowingly bring about the destruction of the Roman Republic while trying to save it. With an enchanting eye for detail (her description of the great lengths Romans will go to even while at war in order to protect the secret of a prized snail population is delightful), McCullouch breathes life into some of Rome's most famous and infamous characters. Gaius Marius is a provincial military man, a "hayseed with no Greek" in the eyes of most patrician Romans, desperate to prove himself because he knows, with every fiber of his bull-like being, that he is the best man in Rome. Protecting a dirty little secret that it has been foretold that Marius will be consul seven times -- an unprecedented feat, given that you had to wait ten years between terms in office -- and will become the Third Founder of Rome, Marius has the military brains and the vast fortune, but not the upbringing to rise to his destined station. All that changes when the head of the impoverished-yet-impeccably noble Caesar clan, Julius (not *that* Julius - he comes later in the series) offers an alliance with Marius -- marriage for cash. In one fell swoop, allied with the Caesars (descended directly from Venus herself), Marius is on the rise. Also rising, from even greater depths, is the wolflike Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Of almost as noble of birth as the Caesars, Sulla is even more destitute, forced to share his bed with women who love him desperately. Too creepy to be called sinister, depraved but not quite evil, Sulla is only too willing to use poison to achieve what ends he may. Sulla is one of McCullouch's great characters, and he far more complex than Marius. Eventually, Marius and Sulla go to war in Africa against Rome's rival, Jugurtha, and victories there lead to Marius' command of the Roman armies against the horrifying Germans who storm out of the distant north. More than a mere military history, although McCullouch has gift for describing the horrors of battle without too much gore, "The First Man in Rome" also throws the reader into the middle of Senate intrigue. Led by Scaurus, the Princeps Senatus, the Roman patricians do not sit idly by as Marius rises to power. Throwing even more heft into this novel is the powerful cast of female characters. Roman society did not officially honor its women with votes, elected office, or titles, but it is clear to all and sundry that Roman women are players to be reckoned with, and this side of the story is what elevates McCullouch's efforts above and beyond so many other novels about Rome. One advantage McCullouch uses to her advantage in this, the first novel in her "Masters of Rome" series, is that there are relatively limited surviving historical records of this time period. We have much more extant history from later years. McCullouch uses this freedom to flesh out her characters and her story as she will, and the result is wonderful. A detailed glossary, maps, and even sketches of the main characters all provide the details necessary for this time period. A must for any fan of historical fiction or of the Roman world.
Rating: 
Summary: A snore
Review: I listened to this book on audio while commuting to and from work. When the author wrote about the relationships between the main characters it was OK, but the political speeches were so long and so boring I actually couldn't wait to get to work so I could turn it off. Everyone's name started to sound the same to me. I have a policy of always finishing a book that I have started, but this one really tested me. I will not be listening to any more books in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Historical Fiction At Its Finest
Review: This series of books has been the best reading experience I've had since Michener. Ms. McCullough's research is impeccable and the plot moves along at a furious speed. The characters themselves are great, forcing you to invest time into understanding what motivates them. The 2 main characters of Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius are so well-crafted that one feels an immediate bond with them. Of all the books in this series, the first two are the best. As the author inevitably moves on to the great Ceasar, the books get bogged down. However, I would recommend all of them to anyone interested in good historical fiction and the history of Rome.
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: Will open a whole new world...
Review: ...for those of you who, like me, didn't know too much about ancient Rome. After falling in love with this book, I discovered to my ultimate delight that there were more in the series! Eventually I read all six of them. I can't say enough about this novel. McCullough breathes life into historical characters dead for over 2 thousand years. Not only are they believable, but they're not romanticised in any way - which I prefer. She wants you to understand how they thought in ancient Rome, which is to say, very differently about family, humanity, government, and most things, therefore she doesn't try to make you think her characters are just contemporary people in togas. She really places you there. As a matter of fact, some of the novels in the series were pretty depressing because, let's face it, Roman times were not pretty times for most people. But this one, perhaps the best of all of them, will invite you into this new world and make you keep wanting more. I wish she would write a seventh, but she says she is stopping at six. Pity. Thank you Ms. McCullough 8 wonderful years of reading and re-reading your books and for teaching me about something I never thought I'd want to learn.
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