Caesar : A Novel

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Summary: Alternative history
Review: This is a novel, written in the syle of Bill Safire's "Freedom". It allows Colleen McCullough the opportunity to make history come alive. For me, the Italian and Latin names were hard to keep up with, especially since people often were referred to using their full names and titles. The use of maps of the time are fascinating. It is definitely about warfare and reminds one of the truism that "war is politics by another means." What is most effective about this book is that in reading it, I was struck by the fact that I could have been reading about the Civil War, World War I, Churchill's writings about "The Gathering Storm", or even the Middle East. The Roman Empire lasted for multiple centuries, but it took on many faces. It was not always totalitarian, dictatorial, and cruel. Caesar's time was a time of intrigue. This story describes the desperate struggle of politicians and militarists trying to find out about themselves, asking of their civilization whether they were overwhelming armies, a republic, following in the Platonic tradition, or a little bit of all the above. Outstanding.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
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Rating:
Summary: caesar
Review: Caesar
The book Caesar is great, its violent and compelling. This book really pulled me into the long treacherous history of ancient Rome. Colleen McCullough does a great job of describing the toilsome adventures of Gaius Julius Caesar and his legions crossing over into enemy lands where very few can be trusted for people like brutus can be the real enemy. This book is as McCollough describes it: "Never was there one more adored yet feared than Gaius Julius Caesar, invincible on the battle field, he commands the love and loyalty of those who fight at his side and would gladly give there lives for his glory, but only ill fortune can come to the good men who underestimate him. For Rome is his glorious destiny - one that will impel him reluctantly to the banks of the rubicon...and beyond into triumphant legend". Now just listen to those wonderful words from Colleen McCollough wouldn't that make you want to read this book. I would recommend this book to teen and adult readers not that it's not great but the vocabulary and context are immense and suggestive. Overall it's a great book.

Tom C.