Rubicon: The Triumph And Tragedy Of The Roman Republic

Author: Tom Holland

Stock information

General Fields

  • : $26.99 AUD
  • : 9780349115634
  • : Little Brown
  • : Abacus
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  • : 0.395
  • : September 2004
  • : 198mm X 126mm
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  • : 26.99
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  • : books

Special Fields

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  • : Tom Holland
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  • : Paperback
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  • :
  • : en
  • : 937.02
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  • : 24 illustrations, colour illustrations
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Barcode 9780349115634
9780349115634

Description

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.

Promotion info

* Ongoing author PR activity to include media interviews and appearances at literary festivals * Read on BBC Radio 5 January 04 * Review coverage across the national press * Key Abacus title for summer-reading promotions * Reading copies available

Awards

Winner of Hessell-Tiltman Prize for History 2004. Shortlisted for Samuel Johnson Prize 2004 and British Book Award 2004.

Author description

Tom Holland received a double first from Cambridge. He has adapted Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides and Virgil for BBC Radio. His scholarly style is perfect to reposition him as a writer of non-fiction as well as fiction.