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HISTORICAL FICTION

THE WHOLE TRUTH, EVEN WHEN IT HURTS

Posts tagged ancient Rome
Claudius the god and his wife Messalina

USED BOOK. MAY CONTAIN MARK-IP

By Robert Graves

“The troublesome reign of Tiberius Claudius Caesar, emperor of the Romans (born 10 b.c., died a.d. 54), as described by himself; also his murder at the hands of the notorious agrippin a (mother of the emperor nero) and his subsequent deification, as described by others.”

NY. Vintage Random House. 1962. 584p.

The First Man of Rome

By Colleen McCullough

FROM THE COVER: “The publication thirteen years ago of Birds was a landmark event, a remarkable achievement now surpassed by a novel in which storytelling and scholarship combine to bring to life one of history's most important epochs. The First Man in Rome sweeps the reader into an irresistibly vivid world of political intrigue, danger, wars, assassinations, devas- tating upheaval, intricately passionate family alliances and rivalries - and undeniable reality. It is New Year's Day of 110 B.C., and two of the latest in a long line of noble Roman mediocrities are assuming the coveted mantle of consul. But among those watching are two very different men, men whose vision, ruthlessness, and courage will force shattering change upon the Roman Republic, strug- gling to cope with mushrooming territorial possessions and the growing resentment of the Italians it treats as third-class citizens. One of these two men is Marius, a wealthy rustic barred by his low birth from grasping his prophesied destiny, to become the First Man in Rome- he who stands above all his peers through sheer excellence. The second is (continued on back flap)…..”

NY. William Morrow and Company, Inc. 1960. 897p. USED BOOK CONTAINS MARK-UP

Imperium

By Robert Harris

From the cover: “Ancient Rome - ‘a city of glory built on a river of filth teems with ambitious and ruthless men. None is more  brilliant than Marcus Cicero. A rising young lawyer, backed by a shrewd wife, he decides to gamble everything on one of the most dramatic courtroom battles of all time. Win it, and he could win control of Rome itself. Lose it, and he is finished forever. Internationally acclaimed for its storytelling power and historical accuracy, Robert Harris’s new novel is an epic account of the timeless struggle for power and the sudden disintegration of society.”

London.. Random House. 2006. 495p.