Product Description
Born in Rome around 100 B.C., Gaius Julius Caesar grew up to lead of one of the world's greatest empires. A boy of fierce drive and ambition, he was tutored from the age of six. The teenage Gaius became head of his household at 16 and master of his own destiny. Caesar joined the military and at 22 he returned to Rome to begin his unstoppable rise to power. This National Geographic World History Biography leads readers through the intriguing world of Ancient Rome, with a time line, graphic illustrations of historical events, and maps of Rome and its far reaching empire. ... Read more

Product Description
In this meticulously researched and absorbing biography, Arthur Kahn brings Caesar alive and explores the spirit of his age with intensity, illuminating the politics, the technological and scientific developments, military struggles, and the artistic and philosophical ferment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Excellent scholarly biography
'The Education of Julius Caesar' is a solid biography of Caesar and an excellent overview of late republic political history.Khan writes with a lucent style and great technique to tell Caesar's story.For example, throughout the book Kahn contrasts Caesar's Epicureanism to the optimates' Stoicism; something I've never seen done in a Caesar biography before.He uses this contrast to highlight that Caesar's life was more than a political power struggle; it was also a philosophical struggle.

My only warning--if you know next to nothing about Caesar's life or late roman republic politics don't start here.While the book is extremely detailed it doesn't do a great job of showing where cities are located (there are no maps), or explaining the political curus honorum.It's easy to get a praetor, tribune, aedile, censor, consul, and everything else mixed up if you've never studied it before.I'd recommend Colleen McCullough's excellent 'Masters of Rome' before reading this.

Overall--an excellent biography of Caesar, well written, and great style.

Vivat Kahn!
FORGET THE ALLEGATIONS OF BIAS AND LEFTISM BY SOME PREVIOUS REVIEWERS. In 40 years of studying the Roman Republic, I find this book to be the best review of Caesar and his times ever written. Kahn does a compelling job of tracing and demonstrating the people, events, knowledge, and institutions that shaped and were modified by Caesar. Especially if you are a Ciceronian, you need to read this book; no writer on Rome since Kahn's book was first published can write without reference to this work, even if to disagree.

I read this when it was first issued, and I go back to it again and again. I also recommend it to those who want a readable and full introduction to Late Republican life.

Who's the baboon?
Why would anyone write a biography of a historic figure and use a cartoon of a baboon on the cover?Can that be the face of the author?

I doubt that the greatest general and statesman of ancient times looked like a baboon.More likely it's a leftist biographer.

Don Norton

Excellence with a Grain of Salt
I found Kahn's book fascinating, although I agree with an earlier reviewer that I regret he could not keep his personal politics more out of his book - irritating, but a small caveat when there is so much of use here. It's as if Kahn is too prone to project Rome in 60 BC onto the U.S. in, say, 1935. I've read many books on Caesar (including C. Meier's rather romantic German version) and in many ways, I enjoyed Kahn's more than any except Gelzer (who is still the best).Kahn has his finger on almost every significant event in Caesar's (and the late Republic's) life and is able to work through the facts both thoroughly and logically.In fact, the book is almost overwhelming in its detail.Agreed, he is one of the "pro-Caesar" faction - which seems almost by definition to mean, he's anti-Optimate.Well, it's the rare historian of Caesar who can manage not to take sides on this subject, the very issue that tore the Republic apart.Read the book with the realization that you have a fine bio of Caesar here, accurate and thorough, but more than slightly prejudiced against the Roman Senate that so thoroughly detested and tried to destroy Caesar and you will do very well.

Author's political biases are projected onto the pasrt
What's wrong with the Education of Julius Caesar? In a word, Arthur Kahn can't seem to keep his Leftist political biases from coloring his evaluation of the Late Republic. His prejudices seep in on virutally every page in which the Senate is discussed. This is not to say that the Senators where saints; far from it. But they were men of their time, who had been raised in a political community that indoctrinated them into it's beliefs just as every other society does. Kahn seems to ignore this in his zeal to paint the "oligarchs", as he calls them, in a bad light. This is illegitimate, as anyone who understands the structure of the Roman state in that era must know. The Romans had a nomialist theory of the state. Rather than thinking that Rome as a poltical community was some kind of larger whole, over and above it's citizens, the Romans believed that Rome was nothing but the assembly of the Roman people as private persons. This is the reason they based citizenship and voting rights on wealth. Since they did not have a very sharp and differentiated notion of political as opposed to private life, they could not find a basis for evaluating one apart from the other. Thus, a rich man was literally more of a citizen than a poor one, because he had more of the Republic than the poor man did, due to his extensive property. We regard this as bizarre, but no one in Rome seems to have thought twice about it. A result of this identification of the personal and the political is the radical fusion of the personal interests of the rulers with those of the state. That is why the Senators reacted so violently to reform attempts - they knew no vision of politics that would enable them to see any degradation of their posiiton as anything other than an attack of Roman society itself. They simply could not differentiate their own positions of power from the State. This is what Kahn ignores. In page after page, he portrays the Senate as a gang of cynical, ruthless misers out to strip everyone else to the bone while hiding their crimes under the name of patriotism. In truth, these sad little men just didn't know any better. Kahn ignores this, and thus projects his own class-warfare ridden politics onto men who lived two millenia ago.

If you want a good biography of Caesar, try Christian Meier's "Caesar", availble at Amazon.com, instead. ... Read more

Product Description
Experience the Ides of March like never before through our edition of Julius Caesar, with more than 60 minutes of audio on the CD including key scenes and excerpts from great performances past and present.

IN THE BOOK:
Photographs from notable productions including:
-the 1953 movie by Joseph L. Mankiewicz starring Marlon Brando as Mark Antony, James Mason as Brutus and John Gielgud as Cassius
-contemporary American productions with Morgan Freeman as Casca, Al Pacino as Mark Antony and Martin Sheen as Brutus

HEAR 30 GREAT SCENES ON AUDIO CD
-Herbert Beerbohm Tree from 1906
-the landmark Mercury Theatre production from 1938 starring Orson Welles
-modern scenes starring Richard Dreyfuss, Stacey Keach and Adrian Lester

NARRATED BY SIR DEREK JACOBI
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Because of Sourcebooks my 15 yo son asked for more Shakespeare for Christmas!
I have a pretty typical son except that he is homeschooled.Sourcebooks' Macbeth left my son with a deep understanding of Shakespeare and his style of writing; so much so that he asked for another for Christmas - and yes - now he is enjoying "Julius Ceasar" for his own sake!If you or your child has to read a Shakespeare book for whatever reason, make sure you either use or have for reference the Sourcebooks version - they explain words and phrases in terms of their meaning at the time - sentence by sentence.The CD-Rom, which comes with it, allows you to hear sections you may be struggling with as they were performed in famous Shakespeare productions.Also, just FYI, out of several Macbeth movies, we very much liked the BBC version: extremely well performed, with beautiful Scottish settings and realistic costumes (we rented through Netflix). ... Read more

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The works of William Shakespeare come alive in these stunning graphic novels adaptation using the original Shakespearean dialog.The world-class art, history, revenge, and drama of Julius Caesar will capture the attention of reluctant readers. ... Read more

Product Description
Marga Munkelt has added a new section and pictures to the Introduction of this updated edition of Julius Caesar. It surveys stage and critical interpretations since the 1980's of Shakespeare's most famous Roman play. The reading list has also been brought up to date.First Edition Hb (1988): 0-521-22220-6First Edition Pb (1988): 0-521-29408-8 ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Essential Literature

Caesar's Commentaries are an essential read for anyone who aspires to a good education.For several centuries, English public schools (meaning private) required their students to translate Caesar's Commentaries from the Latin.Since the decline of written Latin for church and scholarly purposes, translating Caesar has fallen out of favor.But, the main reasons for reading Caesar still persist:It provides an excellent model of clear, simple exposition and demonstrates how a man of substance should express himself.

Make no mistake about it, Caesar was a clever, calculating, complicated man, but when he wrote, he was certain about what he intended to say and said it.MacDevitt's translation is not that of a schoolboy; it is that of a school-master.Where there is a subtle reference in Caesar's prose, MacDevitt captured it in his English translation clearly and succinctly.

When you read Caesar's Commentaries, you are not reading the rantings of a third-rate politician.You are reading the words of one of the most important figures in the entire history of the human race.The accomplishments of Julius Caesar, whether for good or evil, will stand as a monument to human ambition for all time.

Nice translation
I liked the translation--it brought Caesar's style to life.It also seemed to me that the section completed by Caesar's associate was distinct in style, which again made Caesar's more vivid.Be warned, though, that there is absolutely no commentary, which for me was problematic, as it the work clearly has its propaganda elements, and it would be nice to know exactly how much of a stretch some representations are.But for those looking for a straight translation, it's a nice choice.

caesar's commentaries
I am not learned in Latin but the translation did not flow in English. The tenses changed so suddenly and inappropriately that I suspect the translator of being too literal and the end result was difficult to read in English. It gave the impression of one step above a computer translation. I can't imagine Caesar and his scribes being so crude.I must read another edition before I have an opinion on the book-it was difficult and tedious to read. Maps would have been helpful.

Very interesting, though hard to read
Mostly written by Caesar, this book provides an insightful view of ancient warfare from a general's perspective, including such topics as the siege, infantry/calvary interaction, the value of enemy awareness, military engineering, intelligence, moral building, calculated risk, and so on.It also describes such topics as the ancient use of the defeated providing hostages, the temperament of the Celtic tribes, the competition for the areas west of the Rhine (Gaul), the lifestyles and state of civilization of the Germanic tribes (this may be the first recorded account of the Germans), and political strategies.

Note that Caesar writes in the third person, which almost makes it seem like it was written by an impartial historian (which is obviously not the case... Hence, its accuracy must be questioned to some degree).

The only downside of this book is its translation, which I compare to reading an old version of the bible. Sentences run very long, paragraphs cover entire pages, verbs are placed in odd parts of sentences,.. etc. It takes a while to get through it.It is, however, worth the effort, and is a interesting window into the past.

What's latin for boring??
Caesar might have been a good general but he's a uniquely boring writer with leaden descriptions of intensely exciting campaigns. The other problem is that it's best to read Roman writers in the original Latin as that way the "otherness" of ancient Romans comes across better. Ergo taedet me istius libris. Dabit deus his quoque finem. ... Read more

Product Description
ShakespeareÂ's immortal drama is retold here in a graphic novel format. Julius Caesar, emperor of Rome, is brutally assassinated, but soon the conspirators Brutus, Marc Antony, and Cassius turn against one another to spark a civil war. BarronÂ's popular and growing series of Graphic Classics titles introduce many of the worldÂ's literary masterpieces to young readers. Elementary and secondary school teachers will value these books as a way to make great novels and plays accessible to their studentsÂ--especially to those students who resist reading. Presented in graphic novel format, each title tells an absorbing, fast-paced story dramatized with high-quality color illustrations. After delving into any of these stimulating titles, many boys and girls will feel encouraged to discover the joy of reading the masterworks in their original form. Each Graphic Classics title includes a thumbnail biography of the author, a list of his or her important works, a timeline of historic events that helped inspire the story, general notes, and an index. Graphic Classics titles are available in both paperback and hardcover editions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Royally STINKS! Shakespeare lovers--NOT the complete play!
NOT the complete play!

There have been other graphic novel adaptations of Shakespeare's plays that reprint the original play in full, & have engaging illustrations.

Sadly, this fails to achieve either. Uninspired art coupled with a very poor adaptation creates an unhappy experience, neither educational nor enjoyable. ... Read more

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This informative book presents a wide selection of early and modern criticism on Julius Caesar from leading critics. ... Read more

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The Gallic campaigns firmly established Julius Caesar as one of the greatest commanders of all time. In this history, Theodore Dodge, one of the only military historians to have visited every one of the great general's known battlefields, makes full use of other chronicles and supplements them with his insightful descriptions of the battles. 253 illus. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Hail Caesar
This is the second book by Dodge I have read and it is as good as the first, which was Hannibal. Mr. Dodge goes into fascinating detail of Caesar's campaigns throughout Gaul, Britain, Germania, and finally along the Dalmatian coast against Pompey. Very detailed not only in military tactics but also the political ramifications Caesar caused on the Roman republic. A very fine read.

Good book.
This is a very good and interesting book. I have read other books by this author, and they are generally interesting.

A Detailed History
This book is for those who enjoy ancient history, with an emphasis on military warfare.Dodge rams enough facts and figures down your throat for understanding, but manages at the same time to make it interesting.It is very informative of Caesar's life and the way in which he ran the most dominant army of his time.

Library Adition
I have found this book to be an excellent addition to my library on Roman History with the focus on Julius Caesar

True title should be:CAESAR'S ART OF WAR
No politics, no love story featuring that useless midget Cleopatra. This book is a hard-core military book. Features very detailed accounts of the Campaigns of Julius Caesar.
Buy this book if you want to learn about how Caesar fought wars.Detailed information about on how he designed defensive perimeters, how he made camp, how long trenches were, etc..
Also includes how he made siege on enemy fortifications and laid waste to way too many peoples.
You will learn the many goods, a few bads, and the one ugly (exterminated a whole race in Gaul) on Caesar. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
A powerful tale of war, romance, and one of history's most desperate gambles

Julius Caesar was nothing if not bold. When, in the wake of his defeat of Pompey at Pharsalus his victorious legions refused to march another step under his command, he pursued his fleeing rival into Egypt with an impossibly small force of Gallic and German cavalry, raw Italian recruits, and nine hundred Spanish prisoners of war-tough veterans of Pompey's Sixth Legion.

Cleopatra's Kidnappers tells the epic saga of Caesar's adventures in Egypt through the eyes of these captured, but never defeated, legionaries. In this third volume in his definitive history of the Roman legions, Stephen Dando-Collins reveals how this tiny band of fierce warriors led Caesar's little army to great victories against impossible odds. Bristling with action and packed with insights and newly revealed facts, this eye-opening account introduces you to the extraordinary men who made possible Caesar's famous boast, "I came, I saw, I conquered."

Praise for Caesar's Legion

"A unique and splendidly researched story, following the trials and triumphs of Julius Caesar's Legio X. . . . More than a mere unit account, it incorporates the history of Rome and the Roman army at the height of their power and gory glory. Many military historians consider Caesar's legions the world's most efficient infantry before the arrival of gunpowder. This book shows why. Written in readable, popular style, Caesar's Legion is a must for military buffs and anyone interested in Roman history at a critical point in European civilization."
-T. R. Fehrenbach author of This Kind of War, Lone Star, and Comanches ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

History That Reads Like a Novel.

This book is an excellent read.The author, Stephen Dando-Collins does a fine job of describing the 6th Ferrata Legion and Caesar's activities in Egypt.Although this is non-fiction, it reads like an adventure novel.

The 6th Legion was split in half at the Battle of Pharsalus.Half the men escaped with the Republican forces and eventually evolved into the 6th Victrix Legion.The 6th Ferrata, however, started out as those 6th Legion cohorts that surrendered to Mark Antony.They switched sides to Caesar after he spared their lives.History describes Caesar's time in Egypt as a "dalliance." Dando-Collins describes this dalliance as nothing short of a life and death struggle against the Egyptians.

The final chapters of the book provide a condensed history of the years following the civil war; the most significant event being Caesar's assassination.The author also covers the battles of Actium, Thapsus, and Munda.These engagements are only given a cursory description as they did not include the 6th Ferrata Legion.The author, however, occasionally references the 6th Victrix Legion.

The book is well researched and draws on many primary and secondary sources.That said, the author skips over recent research surrounding Cleopatra's demise.He describes her death as a suicide even though many historians now think she was assassinated on the orders of Augustus / Octavian.

Bottom line:this is an enjoyable and well written history of Caesar's time in Egypt. The author effectively describes all major events such as the sea battles, street battles, and the kidnapping of Cleopatra.In the end, the reader will gain a clear understanding of the events that made Egypt a province of Rome.

A Stunning Achievement
Stephen Dando-Collins weaves together a history of the 6th Ferrata Legion and Julius Caesar that reads as if it is a fascinating and suspenseful novel. Here you will find a view of the Roman World and the people who lived it, that will open your eyes to a largely hidden history that is much more intriguing than traditional accounts. It is a history that one can relate to from modern times, with its passions and political intrigue. Cleopatra's Kidnappers is one of the best volumes of Dando-Collins' four part saga of Rome's famous legions.

Hmmm..Fairly Enjoyable, but...
Well, overall, the book was enjoyable. Dando-Collins definitely knows his history, and made it seem more like an adventure story than a dry history text. Still, I found it hard to get through a lot of the time. Mr. Collins sometimes goes off on ridiculous tangents that really have nothing to do with the story, and really don't need to be explained. I often got lost while in the middle of some random general's story, and then was thrown back into the real plot with an, "Okay, what just happened?" The author could have made the book shorter and more enjoyable without explaining odd tidbits that didn't need to be explained. I also thought the ending came a littletoo late. HE could have ended the story about 5 chapters earlier than he did, and have it make perfect sense and have a satisfying ending. Instead, he recounted the tale of a few extra, completely random battles. These didn't even have the original 6th Legion in them! These were the battles of completely new recruits and were unnecessary to the central plot. Anyway, maybe I'm just not understanding it fully. I read this for my World History Honors Class, so maybe I just can't appreciate it fully. I'm more of a fantasy kind of girl anyway.

Good history read in spite of gimmicky title and premise
I admit that I bought Cleopatra's Kidnappers: How Caesar's Sixth Legion Gave Egypt to Rome and Rome to Caesar because of the cleverly chosen title.Having read it now though, I feel it would've been better served by a more straightforward title - and premise - that would've made it a slightly shorter book but allowed it a more focused scope and a tidier ending. As it was it went on somewhat longer than it should have, far beyond the central events which make up the best part of the book. For me, Dando-Collins tries too hard to make it a history of the Sixth Legion and of their role in Cleopatra's kidnapping (which in itself is a sensationalization of events to allow the book a gimmicky title - it was more an act of protective custody than anything else). The actual kidnapping as such is only a single fourteen-page chapter. And in trying to make it a history of the sixth legion, the book extends past the conclusion of the events of real interest and past the deaths of all involved into what should have been no more than a footnote detailing what happened to the Sixth Legion in the three centuries afterwards. It would have been a better book if it had concluded with the end of the civil wars and of all the principal figures who were a part of them.

That said, however, I found Cleopatra's Kidnappers a highly readable and enjoyable history of a very interesting - and important - episode in Roman history. The inside jacket describes it quite well:

"Cleopatra's Kidnappers tells the gripping true story of the momentous events of 48-47 BC, during which, according to most history books, Caesar 'dallied in Egypt.' What those books don't mention is that his 'dalliance' was a bitter seven-month life-or-death struggle; that Caesar was opposed by a well-equipped and determined Egyptian army that had just murdered Pompey and was now after him and that without the Sixth Legion, Caesar never would have made it out of Egypt alive."

Dando-Collins does good history. His style is smooth and highly readable, he's done his research well, and he manages to to lay out the chronology of events in such a way that the reader can follow Caesar - and the Sixth Legion - through all of their movements and actions in the empire in an as-it-happens style during the period under examination.I liked the fact that Dando-Collins was very scrupulous in sticking to the known facts (with his various sources cited), not putting words in the mouths of his historical figures that weren't actual quotations. When something is not known, he simply says that it is not known. When he engages in conjecture, it is always made clear and is based on his intimate familiarity with the customs and procedures of the times:

"Many historians have assumed that from that first night, Cleopatra made herself at home there at Caesar's guesthouse, within the royal compound south of the Canopic Way. Later outcomes point to a different turn of events. After ordering a strong guard to be provided for Cleopatra, it seems that in the early hours of the morning Caesar sent her across the Canopic Way to take up residence one more in the wing of the palace that had been her home prior to her ejection by Ptolemy's people. As she settled into her old quarters, a guard of Roman troops took up positions outside, with orders to let no one make contact with her without Caesar's permission. Almost certainly, Caesar chose the 6th Legion to provide Cleopatra's guard. The youths of the 28th Legion were too callow and unworldly for such a delicate task. The German troopers of Caesar's bodyguard were too coarse; besides, they weren't Roman citizens, so to place them over Cleopatra would have been a rank insult to the young queen. The tough, no-nonsense veterans of the 6th would have been the ideal men for the job."

I found the book highly informative, changing the way I viewed these events and this period. As brilliant and lucky a general as he was, Caesar did come perilously close to disaster on a number of occasions, any one of which could have changed history dramatically. As could have the deaths of seemingly minor characters at the time whose descendants were destined to play major roles in subsequent Roman history. The various key battles were laid out in extremely clear fashion, allowing the reader to follow the ebb and flow of the action with ease. And the details Dando-Collins brings out, in everything from how legions were organized and how they served to what triumphs consisted of and what actions did or did not merit a triumph, did much to bring the reality of that ancient time to brilliant life in the book. Highly recommended.

A very good work of non fiction that flows like a novel
This was my first Dando-Collins book and I must say I was quite impressed. A great fiction author like Margaret George "Memoirs of Cleopatra" can make subject matter like Caesar, Mark Antony and Cleopatra and all that is the Roman Empire flow like silk, becoming irresistable to put down for readers fixated with such material. Harder though for a non fiction work to do the same. Yet I found myself drawn to this work from chapter 1 and could hardly put it down as the pages flowed.

Its a splendidly researched book that doesnt pretend to be a Cambridge History of the Times or the like. Its simply an easy to read, thought provoking fact filled and informative publication quintessentially about the 6th Legion (raised in Spain) and its contribution to the Gallic campaign, Civil War through its allegiance first to Pompey and then as an integral part of Caesars progress to claiming leadership of Rome via the pivotal events that occurred in Egypt. These were the days when he was neither guaranteed to become ruler of Rome and nor was a very young Cleopatra - encamped in Palestine - seeking to regain her place on the Egyptian throne - guaranteed to be ruler of Egypt over the badly advised and cynically cruel brother Ptolemy XIII.

The famous and the infamous men and women of the times, and their lives are richly detailed in quick succession as well as their influence or role in the events going on upon the times in which the book is based. Its a veritable who's who. And not all are so well known that the author cant surprise. Caesars promotion following his victory at Pharsalus of a young tribune called Tiberius Claudius Nero, rejected by Cicero for betrothal to his daughter but eventually to marry Livia on her way to ultimately marrying Augustus. That pre Augustan union produced Tiberius (2nd Emperor or Rome) while son Drusus marrying a daughter of Mark Antony would lead to Claudius (4th Emperor of Rome) ---> not bad work by Tiberius Claudius Nero who couldnt have known his true influence as he organised the stacking of cavalry horses and provisions on one of Caesars barges bound for Egypt. This is the sort of thing the book is great at uncovering. And why its so absorbing. If only Cicero had said "yes" then there would not have been a Nero (Livia's great great grandson). The irony of Cicero - who forsaw in the destruction of the Republic the future reign of unaccountable tyrants - indirectly causing the reign of the ulimate tyrant in Nero is truly a gem.

More than this there are moments where the description is very ethereal. Like the description at the start of the chapter "Egyptian Resistance" of the scene and surroundings as Caesars warships slip into the Alexandrian harbour at night as the famous Lighthouse glows away - with troops on deck not sure of what reception awaits but prepared for all and sundry to come at them anyway. Its quite awe inspiring the way its all painted in words.

And oh poor Caesar...think you have trouble balancing your bank account...just read and you will realise that the great man had to be as much a great banker as a statesman and leader of fighting men. There were times he had to call on the overdraft, negotiate with the creditors, manipulate the self interest of others to donate money to the cause, flog his enemies to get it or call in his own loans just to keep the campaign from collapsing around him. Amazing stuff.

THe bad? Well it wont please research purists. The prose is a mix of easy flowing fiction writers style with non fiction material. But to my mind it just takes the dryness out of learning. Then there is that annoying Dando-Collins trademark of modernising the place names, instead of just giving the original name and placing its modern equivalent in parentheses. And if you like me - love the terms Tribune, Legate, Consul, Praetor etc etc rather than lietenant general, major general, etc being substituted (which to my mind makes things more confusing than helpful) then it can be distracting. If only the author stuck to the ranks and postions as they were known at the time and listed at the beginning a chart of comparison then so much more would have been the joy of reading this work.

But all-in-all a very impressive and enjoyable read about a great Roman Legion fighting in perhaps the most fascinating time in Ancient Romes past.

I originally posted this review with a 4 star rating but after reading it again I couldnt help but to delete that review and give it 5 given it is such an entertaining and informative read. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Definitive Biography On Julius Caesar
I read this book for a graduate course in Roman history.This is a great book that points out information on historians of Caesar, especially the excellent work by the Germans

Pompey's apex of power and glory was in 61 BCE, when he returned to Rome to receive his third triumph after his victories in the Middle East, brought new territory and treasure to Rome.With his sterling military reputation and great personal wealth, one would have thought that Pompey could dictate terms to the senate.However, Marcus Porcius Cato 95-46 BCE and his optimate party associates in the Senate, fearful of Pompey's power and ambition and wanting to protect their own political oligarchy, were successful in keeping political power out of his hands.Not only did Cato force Pompey to disband his legions as a condition of his receiving his triumph in Rome, he also embarrassed Pompey by insuring that the Senate did not make any land grants to Pompey's veterans.These actions weakened Pompey's political strength.It kept him from giving out positions of patronage to his supporters and it also lost him favor in the eyes of his veterans.As a result, it also had the effect of making him look like a political weakling when he would later try to stop the ambitious Julius Caesar.Once again, Plutarch observed that although Pompey may have been a great military general, he was no match for others as a political leader."And well had it been for him had he terminated his life at this date, while he still enjoyed Alexander's fortune, since all his aftertime served only either to bring him prosperity that made him odious, or calamities too great to be retrieved."

While Cato and the Senate were going out of their way to quench Pompey's fiery ambitions, Julius Caesar started to make his grab for power over Rome.Yavetz's book on Julius Caesar is an excellent in-depth analysis of Caesar's life.Caesar hailed from one of the minor and less politically active patrician families.Although a senator's son, Caesar's standing in society was first improved by the fact that Marius became his uncle by marriage.Secondly, to further his own political career he married Cornelia, the daughter of the Roman consul Cinna.In 80 BCE Julius Caesar embarked on a military career and made his mark quickly as an able military commander.Yavetz observed that early in Caesar's life he already mastered "how to exploit his talents to the full...he was already a respected orator and, a dashing officer that had shown bravery."Yavetz pointed out that there were two dominant political parties in Rome at the time.The optimates were dominated by the conservatives who worked to protect the prestige of the senate, the rich, and the status quo of Rome.The populares party that Caesar belonged to, played to the lower class multitudes of Rome in deed and word.

By 59 BCE Caesar had made several moves in his life which furthered his political career and gained him his first consulship of Rome.Caesar worked hard at getting the two most powerful men in Rome, Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus 115-53 BCE, to reconcile their differences.Crassus was a businessman and the richest man in Rome.Caesar further allied himself politically with Pompey by giving his daughter, Julia, some thirty years Pompey's junior, in marriage to him.All three men banded together in a triumvirate to wrest power from the optimates in the senate.Their vehicle for doing this was to bring about a new agrarian law over the strenuous opposition of the optimate senators.The agrarian law that Caesar introduced as counsel served several purposes.It was helpful in relieving the overcrowded conditions in Rome by allowing landless people the ability to settle on uncultivated land in Italy.In addition, some of this land would also be used to finally reward Pompey's veterans that had been loyal to him.Of course, it would be extremely popular with the multitude of Roman citizens who owned little if any property.In order to insure the passage of the bill, Pompey put the word out to his veterans to come to Rome where they made their presence known by running off the opposition senators out of the forum while Caesar was advocating for the passage of the bill in a speech to the people.Yavetz astutely points out "Caesar's...agrarian laws show him as a politician with an outstanding talent for dealing with social problems."The nasty political fight between Caesar and the optimates earned him some serious political enemies.However, with the help in the Senate from his political allies the populares and from Pompey, Caesar was appointed a proconsul of the province of Cisalpine Gaul.This province was a part of northern Italy, which he was to rule for five years.Soon there after, the governor of Gaul, a territory beyond the Alps, died and this territory was added to Caesar's territory.Though the future looked bright for Rome in 59 BCE, the greed and distrust between the two strongest military leaders of the triumvirate would eventually cause Pompey and Caesar to become enemies and turn on each other in their quest for ultimate power in Rome.

Most historians observed that Caesar's new appointments gave him command of four legions, the ability to win prestige in battle, and to acquire much booty during his conquest of Gaul.Few in Rome, most importantly Pompey, could have imagined that "by the brilliance of his generalship, and the swiftness and totality of his conquests...this loquacious and unprincipled politician could achieve so much."Caesar spent nine years in Gaul, and by 50 BCE, his army grew in number to twelve legions.Caesar's army was made up of many battle hardened professionals.In addition, Caesar's successes made it easy for him to gain new volunteers to swell his ranks.Caesar's soldiers and many of his officers were undoubtedly motivated by money and pride, which kept them loyal to Caesar.These accomplishments served to secure Caesar's unrivaled political standing.It was Caesar's loyalty from the army coupled with the treasure necessary to buy favor of the Roman citizenry that gave him the political power necessary to conquer Rome.One can also see from Caesar's actions that he learned well from his uncle Marius on how to raise an army and keep its loyalty.These lessons were also learned by his successor Octavian.However, Caesar's success in conquering Rome would not happen without fighting a bitter Civil War against the optimates in the Senate who were allied with Pompey.

Yavetz meticulously wrote about the events which led to the ensuing Civil War.In 51 BCE, the optimates now allied with Pompey in the Senate, tried to have Caesar recalled to Rome so that they could put him on trial for misconduct.Caesar knew that he needed to hold onto his position in Gaul and run in abstentia for consul in 49 BCE, so that he could have a political office to protect him from prosecution by his enemies.Though much political bargaining went on between Caesar, Pompey and the Senate, by 49 BCE the Senate voted to deliver Caesar an ultimatum."Caesar was to dismiss his army by a fixed date on pain of being regarded a public enemy."If Caesar followed the dictates of the Senate, he would have been a private citizen for six months and open to his enemies for reprisal.Thus on January 10, 49 BCE, Caesar and his army crossed the Rubicon River, even though it was against ancient Roman law.This action automatically made Julius Caesar an enemy of the state and precipitated a bloody Civil War that changed the course of Roman history.Upon hearing the news of Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon, Pompey ordered all senators and citizens who considered themselves patriots of Rome to flee the city.Pompey was overconfident that Caesar would not enter Rome and told his followers he would easily raise the legions necessary to stop Caesar.Pompey was wrong on both counts.Caesar felt he had no choice in his actions, and throughout the Civil War he went out of his way to protect both the property and the honor of all the people who he captured.In addition, Caesar pled his case, explaining the untenable circumstances in which Pompey and the Senate placed him, and implored all of his former enemies to join his side in the Civil War.Caesar was quite successful in this endeavor.While Caesar was chasing Pompey to Brundisium, he spent over a week in Rome setting up a government and instituting legislation that restored economic security to the country.In the mean time, Pompey took his army to Brundisium and narrowly escaped Caesar's advancing army by ship to the Greek peninsula.By 48 BCE, the deciding battle was fought in Pharsalus, with Pompey's army outnumbering Caesar's by two to one.However, Pompey's mainly inexperienced soldiers were no match for Caesar's battle tested soldiers.Pompey lost the battle and fled by sea to Egypt where he was later murdered, much to Caesar's chagrin.Caesar went on to conquer Egypt and installed Cleopatra as his regent on the throne, and then returned to Rome in triumph.The Senate showered Caesar with all manner of honors heretofore never bestowed on any other man of Rome.In addition, the Senate made him Dictator for ten years.He accepted the honors and new powers while repeatedly remarking that he would work towards reconciliation with his former enemies and would not become a despot."He had only fought the Civil War to save himself from dishonour.His victorious army had done battle to protect its rights and Caesar's dignity."

Yavetz wrote admiringly on how quickly Caesar went to work instituting new reforms in order to fix the decades of social and political problems of the Roman Empire that the Republic could not cope with while under the Senate.In addition, Caesar traveled to all of the provinces in the Empire, which showed the people that he cared about their welfare, and made them more loyal to him.Militarily Caesar discharged all of his veteran legions except one, making sure that each of the soldiers received land in Italy and southern France.This insured that they would stay loyal to Caesar personally.From his very able military staff, Caesar picked men to fill ministerial positions throughout the empire, which also strengthened his hand politically.It is a pity that Caesar had only two years to institute a Pax Romana before he was brutally assassinated.However, what social, political, and military reforms Caesar started would come to fruition under Caesar Augustus, his heir and Rome's ruler for forty-five years.

Recommended reading for those interested in Roman history, military history.
... Read more

Product Description
By examining his military and political career, home life and relationships with women, Always I Am Caesar provides a vivid portrait of Caesar’s life and the times of ancient Rome during its transition from republic to empire.

• Provides a richer portrait of Caesar’s life by viewing him from multiple perspective and relating him to broader Roman society
• Explores aspects of Caesar’s career in cultural and social terms
• Engaging and witty style will appeal to general readers

Customer Reviews (3)

Always I am Tatum
As an undergrad and grad student at FSU, I had the opportunity to take multiple classes with Professor Tatum.He was one of the best lecturers at the University and filled classes based on that alone.He was also a definite influence on my own teaching style.Reading the book reminded me of that.The incorporation of elements of Roman culture with the biography of one of the most influential figures in history was a wonderful approach. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Romans and to anyone taking classes on the Romans (in fact I recommended it to my own students).After seeing it at the campus library and reading it during the summer term, I immediately searched for a copy of my own.

Always, I am Caesar
Fabulous little book!It is arranged by theme, not chronology.Includes several genealogies.Offers many insights missing from Goldsworthy.Extremely good value for the money.Best book on the last days of the Republic I have read in a very long time.

excellent insights
I was impressed by the new insights contained in this book. An example is the new interpretation of the "Et tu Brute" quote by Caesar. Check it out. ... Read more

Product Description

This is a fresh account of Julius Caesar - the brilliant politician and intriguing figure who became sole ruler of the Roman Empire.

Julius Caesar examines key figures such as Marius, Sulla, Cicero, Mark Antony, Gaius Octavius (emperor Augustus), Calpurnia and Cleopatra, as well as the unnamed warriors who fought for and against him, and politicians who supported and opposed him.

Including new translations from classical sources, Antony Kamm sets Caesar’s life against the historical, political and social background of the times and addresses key issues:

• Did Caesar destroy the Republic?
• What was the legality of his position and the moral justifications of his actions
• How good a general was he?
• What was his relationship with Cleopatra?
• Why was he assassinated?
• What happened next?

This is Caesar – the lavish spender, the military strategist, a considerable orator and historical writer, and probably the most influential figure of his time - in all his historical glory.

Students of Rome and its figures will find this an enthralling, eye-opening addition to their course reading.

Customer Reviews (2)

A Thoughtful and Comprehensive Study
Antony Kamm's previous works of history have shown him to be a tremendous synthesizer of information, who has the ability to clearly explicate the complex histories of ancient worlds - in this case, the remarkable and remarkably complex history of Julius Caesar.

Caesar is currently "in", just as fine scholars are also publishing new studies of important men and events throughout the classical worlds.Kamm's study of Julius Caesar makes a consistent but educated use of sources (many of which are conflicting on fine points about Caesar's remarkable life).Building on his earlier study for students, Julius Caesar: A Beginner's Guide, he is able in this volume to expand into some of the controversies of Caesar's career and those facts that impact our understanding of his character and personality, all focused on the unfortunately-standard view of 20th century scholars that any great leader who is a militarist must, of necessity, be bad.The result is clarity and a fine understanding of the stresses of the Roman Republic into which Caesar was born, and which, only in part through his actions, died with his own death.The Republic, centuries old at Caesar's birth, was unable to accept new solutions to the problems of its increasing empire, and the increasing "one-man rule" of its great military leaders, Marius, Sulla, Pompey and Caesar.

Kamm has the enviable talent of packing a great deal of important information into prose that is lucid and flexible.This is an excellent basic study that deals with all significant aspects of Caesar's life and the world of the late Republic.As the author says, one may not like Caesar, but that is unimportant in evaluating the effect of one extraordinary Roman on the history of his times.

Highly recommended for the beginner or the expert.

A great new biography of Caesar
This is a great book, clear, concise, fast-paced.

Antony Kamm, who a few years ago authored another biography of Caesar, intended as, and titled, "Julius Caesar - A Beginner's Guide", has not only expanded and revamped his previous text, but has carefully re-read the classical sources, studied new scholarship, and come up with new perspectives and insights. He does an amazing job of telling us what we need to know about Caesar in 155 pages, supplemented with maps and illustrations, and goes into detailed although succint discussions about issues such as the paternity of Caesarion or Caesar's philosophic beliefs. The military campaigns are not forgotten, and the descriptions and maps of some of the major battles are among the best and clearest.

Caesar is presented in context and surrounded by his contemporaries. We are told about the cultural, political, religious and military background of the late Roman Republic, and are acquainted with substantial, believable characters like Marius, Sulla, Pompey, Cicero or Piso; the women - Calpurnia, Servilia, Cleopatra - are given new proportions. As for Caesar himself, far from pretending to analyze him, Kamm simply states the facts and anecdotes in his usual elegant, subtly ironical, style, and lets his hero stand for himself. Caesar then comes up as "an idealist, a workaholic", with an "autocratic attitude and (..) preoccupation with quick results",who like no other "head of state in ancient or modern times applied himself so assiduously to such a range of physical and intellectual activities, and excelled at them all".

The lack of footnotes is regrettable, but Kamm makes up for it by quoting his sources in the text, which he manages to do without breaking the flow of narrative. ... Read more

Product Description
Readers might already know that Julius Caesar is horribly famous for: conquering loads of countries; going out with Queen Cleopatra; and, having some back-stabbing chums. But this book will also tell them the facts no other biography is likely to tell them - that Caesar: was once captured by pirates; had a month named after him; and, invaded his own home town. ... Read more

Product Description
A fast-moving popular treatment for adults and young adults, as well. It's all here: Caesar's quick climb up the political ladder, his military genius, his uncanny grasp of human nature, his political triumphs, his enemies, his entanglement with the wily Cleopatra, his dramatic death and the unexpected aftermath. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

where's the book?
I don't see any book version. I dont own a kindle, so how am I supposed to view this.One format is ridiculous!!! Has the world switched to kindle, only? I dont think so... ... Read more