Augustus: A Novel (Paperback)
John Williams (author)Published: 06/02/2003
By the author of Stoner, the surprise international bestseller
After the brutal murder of his great-uncle, Julius Caesar, Octavian, a shy and scholarly youth of nineteen, suddenly finds himself heir to the vast power of Rome. He is destined, despite vicious power struggles, bloody wars and family strife, to transform his realm and become the greatest ruler the western world had ever seen: Augustus Caesar, the first Roman Emperor.
Building on impeccable research, John Williams brings the legendary figure of Augustus vividly to life, and invests his characters with such profound humanity that we enter completely into the heat and danger of their lives and times.
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
ISBN: 9780099445081
Number of pages: 352
Weight: 248 g
Dimensions: 197 x 129 x 22 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
Weir’s sympathetic and detailed biography reassesses the life of a woman whose role in public life…has been underrated by historians - New Statesman
The finest historical novel ever written by an American - Washington Post
It would be easy to over-praise this novel; but there does not seem any adequate reason why this temptation should be resisted - Economist
A novel of extraordinary range, yet of extraordinary minuteness, that manages never to sacrifice one quality for the other - Financial Times
Williams has fashioned an always engaging, psychologically convincing work of fiction - a consistent and well-realized portrait - New Yorker
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“Truly Great Book!!”
Brilliant writing!!! I'm no 'history buff' and for that reason I would probably have shied away from this novel in a bookshop. I'm so glad that I received this novel as a gift because (rather... More
“Good if you like historical novels”
I must admit that this is the first historical novel I have read and probably because of this I found it a little heavy going. It did flow and told a very interesting story in a fascinating way.
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“Solid piece of biographical history”
This is an unashamedly biased account of the story of a boy turning into a man and great leader. It is presented almost as a biography in which the subject says very little. Rather his story is told through the eyes... More
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