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The Roman Republic was the most remarkable state in history. What began as a small community of peasants camped among marshes and hills ended up ruling the known world. Rubicon paints a vivid portrait of the Republic at the climax of its greatness - the same greatness which would herald the catastrophe of its fall. It is a story of incomparable drama. This was the century of Julius Caesar, the gambler whose addiction to glory led him to the banks of the Rubicon, and beyond; of Cicero, whose defence of freedom would make him a byword for eloquence; of Spartacus, the slave who dared to challenge a superpower; of Cleopatra, the queen who did the same. Tom Holland brings to life this strange and unsettling civilization, with its extremes of ambition and self-sacrifice, bloodshed and desire. Yet alien as it was, the Republic still holds up a mirror to us. Its citizens were obsessed by celebrity chefs, all-night dancing and exotic pets; they fought elections in law courts and were addicted to spin; they toppled foreign tyrants in the name of self-defence. Two thousand years may have passed, but we remain the Romans' heirs.
| ISBN | 034911563X | | Pages | 464 | | ISBN13 | 9780349115634
(What's this?) | | Weight (grammes) | 405 | | Publisher | Little, Brown Book Group | | Published in | London | | Imprint | Abacus | | Previous ISBN | 9780316861304 | | Format | Paperback | | Height (mm) | 198 | | Publication date | 10 Jun 2004 | | Width (mm) | 125 | | DEWEY | 937.02 | | Spine width (mm) | 30 | | DEWEY edition | DC22 | | Academic level | General |
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Holland has the rare gift of making deep scholarship accessible and exciting. A brilliant and completely absorbing study A. N. Wilson, author of The Victorians This is the best one-volume narrative history of the Rome between King Tarquin and Emperor Augustus I have ever read. The story of Rome's experiment with republicanism - peopled by such giants as Caesar, Pompey, Cato and Cicero - is told with perfect fre Andrew Roberts A modern, well-paced and finely observed history which entertains as it informs OBSERVER Explosive stuff ... a seriously intelligent history ... [written] with elan and gusto ... It is a history for our times ... Wickedly enjoyable Peter Jones, BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE  Be the first to write a customer review
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