Rating: 
Summary: GREAT
Review: Caesar is on of the best books I've read. It got me to read the other books in the series. It gives a very good account of life and the history of ancient Rome. It is a must-read.
Rating: 
Summary: The earlier books were a lot better
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Too much war, not enough politics, and not enough majesty
Review: I am a Colleen McCullough fan, big time. I've read all her four books in the series at least 3 times EACH. Seriously. I enjoyed Caesar, A Novel very much. However, somehow the people in this book seem less lively than those of her earlier books. Gaius Scribonius Curio pales compared to Lucius Appelius Saturninus. Marcus Antonius is much less vividly portraited than Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in Fortune's Favorite. You don't find your heart bleeding for Marcus Junius Brutus quite as much as the true patriot of Marcus Livius Drusus in The Grass Crown... the list goes on. Maybe it's more the fault of those people in history than of Colleen.
Even the victories entry of Caesar into Rome was much less poignant than Lucius Cornelius Sulla's return; and for all the brutality, the account of Sulla's assuming the dictatorship is much more riveting than the off-hand manner Collen dealt with Caesar's first dictatorship. At the very least, the burning of the Senate House following Publius Clodius' death should have felt much more like a big ticket item, and ought to have been treated more detailedly in lieu of Caesar's endless journeys in Gaul.
Needless to say, Pompeius Magnus all of a sudden looked more foolish and un-commanding than Marcus Aemilius Lepidus who was trounced in 78 BC. I just could not quite buy that. I think Colleen went a little too far in her Caesar worship. Pompey was a great general in his own right, even though he lost.
I hope the next book is much better
Rating:
Summary: A fast and furious read!
Review: I've enjoyed the previous four books in this series immensely, and this entry does not disappoint. "Caesar" maintains the high level of dedication to historical detail of the others. But, it moves at a very fast clip. The last page was upon me before I knew it. A familiarity with what has gone before in the series is also necessary. Although there are many battle scenes and discussions of strategy, this is mainly about politics, and there are quite a few players on the scorecard. A few of the characters seem to grow or change, mainly Caesar and Mark Antony; but many come, play their part, and leave. All in all, I enjoyed this book as much as any of "The Masters of Rome" series, which is a lot, and I'm looking forward to the next one. I only hope it comes before the millenium.
Rating:
Summary: Delve into the world of the greatest Roman
Review: This book immerses you in Further Gaul, Roma and Italia. You look up dazed, the real world an intrusion. Many characters have grown in familiarity and you feel as if you can predict their actions. The battle descriptions are accessible to non-military reader and the polictical wrangling and scandals seem to be taken from CNN. The only weakness comes in the protrayal of Pompey-once a military genius, now a bumbling fool. That transition doesn't ring true-more of a literary shorthand. That shortcoming aside, I anxoiusly await the next installment in this series.
Rating:
Summary: A Worthy Member (Though Not the Best) of the Series
Review: Caesar: Let the Dice Fly is a worthy member of McCullough's Masters of Rome series, and therefore essential reading to any of the avid readers of those books. McCullough makes ancient history real and beleivable; she shows us the very human people behind the cardboard historical facades. We all know Caesar was great, but WHY was he great? McCullough shows us why--not just his through his achievements as a general, but through a realistic (albeit fictional) picture of the man.
In her notes at the end of the novel, McCullough comments on her publishers' requiring her to deal with a great deal of recorded history in a limited number of pages. This she does very well, but not as well as the previous books. Many of the most significant battles are described with astonishing brevity. This makes some of the events in the book seem forced and rushed. Perhaps her publishers should allow her more lassitude--none of her fans would object to longer books, or more of them!
While Caesar is not the strongest book in the Masters of Rome series, I still found it an engrossing read, as would anyone else reading these exceptional books.
Rating:
Summary: Let the praise fly!
Review: The fifth and latest book in the series is a winner, covering the last years of the Gallic campaign and the civil war through the death of Pompey the Great. McCullough brings the characters and the settings of Republican Rome to life.
Rating:
Summary: "Let the Dice Fly High" rolls a 7!"
Review: In this fifth book of the First Man In Rome series Julius Caesar leaves Rome for the Gallic Wars. The scene shifts between Gaul and Rome as the "Boni" or "Good Men" continue their machinations to destroy Caesar. Pompey Magnus goes from Caesar's ally to his nemesis.
McCullough's greatest gift is to make history come alive. Her characters are not the dry dust of high school history or Latin classes but spring from the page with ambition and passion. My greatest complaint is that she writes so slowly. I've waited two years for this episode to arrive and now I'll have to wait for the next. This entire series is a must read for anyone who is interested in Rome and Romans. McCullough's research is superb and when you finish, your understanding of how Rome ruled the world for 1300 years will have reached your gut level.
Rating:
Summary: The best since The First Man in Rome
Review: Worth the two year wait. Have enjoyed all five. The best since the first book. Can't wait to read the next book.
Rating:
Summary: A Roman Epic
Review: 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.
| 
