Customer Reviews
Great read - By: Random Task, 22 Sep 2008 
Today we tend to think of 'The Roman Empire' with little thought to its two distinct stages. A republic & the transition to empire. This book is a lively read about the events leading up to Caesar being declared dictator, paving the way for his adopted son Augustus to sweep to power as the first emperor.
As is Holland's style he makes sure he gives us all the background we need to fully understand the main events. Although Augustus was skimmed over at the end. I understand however the book has to end somewhere.
This is basically as good as History gets. So readable, so engaging.
Yesterday informing today - By: M.I., 09 Sep 2008 I originally bought Rubicon out of interestin early history. Certainly that was to be found herein great, but never dull, detail. It's outstanding historiography. But there was more: it drew a line from then to now. This is more than history, but an example - & a warning. Rome was never more than a form of democracy, & never claimed to be. Still, the Republic had elected leaders with free elections. But lately (from around 70 BCE), there was a change: an undertaking of loyalty was demanded, not to the state but to individual persons (at first Pompey). The cult of personality had begun, & with it civil war & the end of republican government. If this personality cult sounds familiar, it has every reason to. It resonates today, more & more. We are approaching our own Rubicon. Perhaps it's significant that nobody knows where that little stream was. The impression gained daily is that we're standing unknowingly by the modern-day version - & we can never turn back once we cross.
Well Written and Highly Readable - By: D. Evans, 02 Sep 2008 I first read Rubicon at least a few years back, & some of its facts & anecdotes are still fresh & vividin my mind today, which is what most history books attempt (and fail) to do. When I first brought it I was looking forward to getting into it, considering the high amounts of praise showered upon Holland's prose & my own love of Roman history.
At first I was slightly disappointed, as the book didn't live up to my expectations. I basically thought that the book was supposed to be a narrative history of Julius Caesar's age, & I was a bit put off with all the initial historical background to the Roman Republic.
But as I continued to read it, Holland's wonderful writing drew me in, & I realised I couldn't put it down.
Holland takes the reader on a journey through the history of the Republic, & does an excellent job of explaining the Republic's backgroundin government & society.
With the Background set, Holland then takes us on a tour of the last few decades of the Republic, from the days of Marius & Sulla, to the age of Antony & Cleopatra.
Holland's great strength is his ability to makes these historical figures come to life. He describes their appearance & personality, &in so doing he creates a vivid portrait of the person. His description of Julius Caesar, grand military strategist & shrewd politician, as a bald-headed dandy, who loved to wear loose belts & was very self concscious about his appearance, will no doubt surprise those who have come to base their opinions of him from old films & television shows.
He's also very adept at describing the enviroment, & he can therefore explain the reasons for the Republic's fall, as well as narrating the events & characters of the age.
I'd recommend this book for anyone who's interestedin Roman history. It might not be a great piece of historical scholarship, & it doesn't really present any groundbreaking new assessments of Roman Historyin the vein of Ronald Syme's 'The Roman Revolution'. That aside, what the book does do well is create a lively & fascinating trip through the last years of the Republic. Ancient History buffs will enjoy this, while newcomers & those who have no knowledge of the period will no doubt find it a good read. Highly Recommended!
Ancient Rome brought to life - By: J. Duducu, 15 Aug 2008 I love reading non-fiction, particularly, history books. The only trouble with this is you start running out of areas of history to discover. Because of this I diligently avoided ancient history for a long time.
However when the time came to start exploring the worlds of ancient Greece & Rome I chose Tom Holland to be my guide & this turned out to be one of the best reading decisions I have ever made. Tom Holland is a master at bringing long dead worlds to life. He modernises & adds useful comparisons but never to the point of over simplification he also gleefully tells you the little details that make people more human.
The other inspiring point on Tom Holland's style is his ability to fast forward & pause the narrative seamlessly. This book covers hundreds of years of history so you get good background & a taste of what happened after. This sounds easy to do but I have read many books that miserably fail to do this. Ultimately it pauses on the period of Julius Caesar's life which shows you how the Republic got hijacked into an Empire.
An essential read for the casual historian & lovers of ancient history alike.
An outstanding Historical journey. - By: S. Raybone, 10 Jul 2008 Perhaps being slightly biased by an inherent love of History, & a fascination with The Romans, I must conclude that this is one of the finest accounts of the Roman Republic I have read. I would strongly recommend this book for lovers of History, & strangers to the subject alike. Superb.
