Cleopatra

A Life

By: Stacy Schiff

Narrated by: Robin Miles

Length: 14 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt.

Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnets, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Above all else, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator.

Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world. She was married twice, each time to a brother. She waged a brutal civil war against the first when both were teenagers. She poisoned the second. Ultimately she dispensed with an ambitious sister as well; incest and assassination were family specialties. Cleopatra appears to have had sex with only two men. They happen, however, to have been Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, among the most prominent Romans of the day. Both were married to other women. Cleopatra had a child with Caesar and—after his murder—three more with his protégé. Already she was the wealthiest ruler in the Mediterranean; the relationship with Antony confirmed her status as the most influential woman of the age. The two would together attempt to forge a new empire, in an alliance that spelled their ends. Cleopatra has lodged herself in our imaginations ever since.

Famous long before she was notorious, Cleopatra has gone down in history for all the wrong reasons. Shakespeare and Shaw put words in her mouth. Michelangelo, Tiepolo, and Elizabeth Taylor put a face to her name. Along the way, Cleopatra's supple personality and the drama of her circumstances have been lost. In a masterly return to the classical sources, Stacy Schiff here boldly separates fact from fiction to rescue the magnetic queen whose death ushered in a new world order. Rich in detail, epic in scope, Schiff 's is a luminous, deeply original reconstruction of a dazzling life.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2010 Stacy Schiff (P)2010 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Stacy Schiff does a rare thing: She gives us a book we'd miss if it didn't exist."—Wall Street Journal

"A masterpiece."—Daily Beast

"Captivating...Ms. Schiff strips away the accretions of myth that have built up around the Egyptian queen and plucks off the imaginative embroiderings of Shakespeare, Shaw and Elizabeth Taylor. In doing so, she gives us a cinematic portrait of a historical figure far more complex and compelling than any fictional creation, and a wide, panning, panoramic picture of her world."—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

Incredible on every level

A work of history that somehow still leaves you on the edge of your seat

Densely pack and exciting history!!!

I loved the fully formed statues surrounding Alexandria, the Queen and her time. It was exciting

A little disappointed

There had been so much hype about the book that I had raised expectations. Cleopatra and the other "characters" seemed a little flat and not very exciting.

One of the Best

Definately one of the very best audible books I've listened to over the 8 years I've been listening. This book was not only fascinating but it was well written and well recorded. I totally loved it!

Comprehensive and Entertaining History

This is an excellent historical biography of Cleopatra, that great Egyptian Queen who has inspired our fantasies throughout the ages. I cannot speak to any images/photographs included since I listened to the Audible audiobook, but Robin Miles' narration is perfect and expertly weaves through Schiff's superb sentences.

Delve into the rise of Cleopatra as an icon, a clever politician, showman and goddess during her reign, sift through the Roman intrigue that significantly defined her, and wallow in the emotional circumstances leading to the fall of Alexandria. Where does she lie now? Next to Marc Anthony, in the analogs of history and literature, and in the hearts and minds of all who encounter her.

Great story over modulated

Cadence is distracting. Overall great story with exquisite detail but predictable and monotonous rise and fall of readers voice is distracting.

Beautifully written, splendidly narrated

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Excellent blend of historical evidence, juxtaposition of multiple sources, and the emerging plot full of Egyptian passion and wit. Enthralling and easy to follow.

Tedious and Exhausting

The information presented was "tedious" and "exhausting". I would have enjoyed a more direct approach to the author's writing. The author lost me in the detail and extreme descriptive wordiness....Had trouble staying awake while listening. I was hoping to enjoy this read, but didn't.

This is not the movie story!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

A really outstanding view into an era that has been so skewered by Hollywood, it is no wonder that Stacey Schiff has to warn you 'this is not Liz & Richard'! And as much as I enjoyed the well-written history, I would have admittedly been over-whelmed by the names & locales had I been reading the words alone. Deeply rich in history, Ms Schiff blends in fact & conjecture to bring the historical figures to life. There were several times when I found myself thinking 'wait - that wasn't what I thought...'. Cleopatra was quite the trend setter of her day - a strong, powerful, intelligent & well educated being far ahead of her time - especially as a woman in a very male-oriented world. In discussions with our Book Club, we tried thinking of what modern woman could have come close to Cleopatra... and there was no peer!

What did you like best about this story?

The walk through time - the culmination of various historical records to piece together a patchwork of history for which there is no one source of enlightenment

Which scene was your favorite?

The collapse of Marc Antony - it was like Romeo & Juliet!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The Roman 'Civilization' turned out to be quite barbaric & brutish in comparison to the grace & grandeur of Alexandria & the Greeks.

Any additional comments?

Well worth a listen - I think you'll get more out of listening than you will trying to wade through all the names & places in print

Must love history!

Although this is certainly a wonderful account of Cleopatra's life, you probably have to be an avid history lover to get through it. This book goes into great detail and sometimes makes it a little harder to pay attention. The narration was wonderful, though. I am a great history buff, so I enjoyed it to the end, but I can see where if the reader was looking for an electric story, they might be disappointed. If you love accurate historical events as pertains to the character, you will like this book. Stacy Schiff put a lot of research in this story and Robin Miles did a wonderful narration.