The first of the Roman Emperors and one of a series of books by the author on important Romans. Written in the first person by the man himself, it illustrates his extraordinary ambition, his incredible rise to power and the manipulation, duplicity, cruelty and double-dealing of the period. Accessible and written in a colloquial language, it is an interesting work, not in my mind great but certainly well worth trying.
Augustus was the founder of the Roman Empire, adopted son of Julius Caesar, friend and later foe of Mark Antony, patron of Horace and Virgil. Frank and forceful, this putative autobiography tells his story from the assassination of Caesar, through his military, political and personal struggles to his final days as Emperor in everything but name.
'He makes Augustus credible as a man: wily, ruthless, shrewd, generous, admirable' Andrew Sinclair, The Times
'A flawed, doubting, powerful man rises from the pages of history and imagination.' Douglas Dunn, Herald
'A great achievement' Joseph Farrell, Scotsman
Author
About Allan Massie
Allan Massie is the award-winning author of many novels, including his Roman Quartet, ANTONY, AUGUSTUS, TIBERIUS and CAESAR, as well as several works of non-fiction. He lives in the Scottish Borders and writes for the Daily Telegraph and the Scotsman.
