Author: Matthew Dennison
Title: The Twelve Caesars: The Dramatic Lives of the Emperors of Rome
Genre: Collective Biography
Publication Date: August 19, 2014
Number of Pages: 400
Geographic Setting: Roman Empire
Time Period: 100 BCE to 96 CE
Summary: Matthew Dennison takes the reader on a trip through the early history of the Roman Empire, with a focus on the lives of the Caesars themselves. Going in chronological order, Dennison tells the reader how each emperor came to power, what they did before and during their reign, and all of the drama surrounding their lives. There is a distinct focus on family issues, as affairs and family in-fighting are abundant in the royal family tree. The book provides a personal analysis of the Caesars, portraying them as actual people, and not legends.
Appeal: The Twelve Caesars is well-written, with a historical summary of events that plays out like a novel. The author doesn't just give the historical facts, he goes into the personal lives of the emperors to show why they did what they did, and how they are more human than we make them seem today.
Three terms that describe this book: Entertaining, Personal, Dramatic
Similar authors and works:
Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome by Robert Harris
This is a fictional novel that takes place in the time of the Roman Empire. It details the life of Marcus Cicero, and his interactions with other historical figures, including the emperors. For experts on Roman history who want something completely new, this provides a new experience set in the same familiar setting. First book of the Cicero series.
Constantine: Unconquered Emperor, Christian Victor by Paul Stephenson
This book details the history of Emperor Constantine, who ruled about 200 years after the events told in The Twelve Caesars. This provides more Roman history, with a focus on the ruler, without retelling the same history found in The Twelve Caesars.
The American President: From Teddy Roosevelt to Bill Clinton by William E. Leuchtenburg
This book offers a similar layout that is provided in The Twelve Caesars, but with a more familiar context for American readers. It is a collective biography, detailing the lives of the American presidents chronologically, in a similar way to how Dennison told the lives of the Roman emperors.
For more information on the history covered in The Twelve Caesars:
Caesar: Life of a Colossus by Adrian Keith Goldsworthy
Chronicle of the Roman Emperors: The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Rulers of Imperial Rome by Christopher Scarre
Julius Caesar by Phillip Freeman
Hi Josh,
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an interesting read. I love history, but for non-history buffs, this sounds like a good way to draw them in. I always worry about the factual content of biographies that feel more like entertaining novels, but it sounds like the point of this book was to help us learn more about them and see them as humans, not historical figures that should be placed on a higher level.
Thanks for taking the time to read this! I'll have to add it to my reading list!
Stefany
I appreciate that the book includes a mix of biographical details and historical facts. That is a large section of history to tackle in one book, but that is great to give a kind of summary and survey of the succession of rulers.
ReplyDeleteIf I read non-fiction, I do like to pick up something that is historically based. This would be a good read to understand how Roman rule functioned during this time, and how brutal it actually was. It would probably give some insight for other reads that include the Roman Empire.
ReplyDeleteGreat annotation. Full points!
ReplyDelete