Imperium

A Novel of Ancient Rome

By: Robert Harris

Narrated by: Simon Jones

Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

When Tiro, the confidential secretary (and slave) of a Roman senator, opens the door to a terrified stranger on a cold November morning, he sets in motion a chain of events that will eventually propel his master into one of the most suspenseful courtroom dramas in history. The stranger is a Sicilian, a victim of the island's corrupt Roman governor, Verres. The senator is Marcus Cicero, an ambitious young lawyer and spellbinding orator, who at the age of 27 is determined to attain imperium, supreme power in the state.

Of all the great figures of the Roman world, none was more fascinating or charismatic than Cicero. And Tiro, the inventor of shorthand and author of numerous books, including a celebrated biography of his master (which was lost in the Dark Ages), was always by his side.

Compellingly written in Tiro's voice, Imperium is the re-creation of his vanished masterpiece, recounting in vivid detail the story of Cicero's quest for glory, as he competed with some of the most powerful and intimidating figures of his or any other age: Pompey, Caesar, Crassus, and the many other powerful Romans who changed history.

Robert Harris, the master of innovative historical fiction, lures us into a violent, treacherous world of Roman politics at once exotically different from and yet startlingly similar to our own.

©2006 Robert Harris (P)2006 Simon and Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Entertaining and enlightening." (Publishers Weekly)

words can't describe how much I enjoyed this

narrator sounded funky to listen to at first, but once you get used to his voice, you realize how well he conveys emotions and the story. I couldn't get enough of the narration and the book. it left me longing for more.

For history lovers

Typical Robert Harris, even if you know the general story, his in-depth research adds so much.

Compelling Story, Excellent Performance

An excellent story of a 'reluctant' lawyer-politician in ancient Rome, similar to John Adams from American History.

The main character seems to be continually on the verge of defeat only to pull off a masterful recovery.

We are given foreshadowing hints that these victories are leading to a dark, and possibly destructive, path.

Dry history springs to life - exciting!

Would you consider the audio edition of Imperium to be better than the print version?

Imperium is a good audio choice, as it's fast-paced, straight forward, and I felt no need to "turn back the pages" to review earlier content.

What did you like best about this story?

I was amazed at how many parallels there are between Roman Law and politics and our own. I loved the fact that what I thought would be dry (neither law nor politics are of great interest to me, nor is the Roman Empire, for that matter) ended up being one of the most riveting stories I've enjoyed this year. It's well written, it doesn't condescend to the audience, it's thoughtful, and I learned a lot.

What about Simon Jones’s performance did you like?

Excellent voice modulation for the different characters.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no

Any additional comments?

no

Excellent historical fiction

if you like historical fiction then you will love this book. This is some of the best historical fiction I have ever heard.

As Good As Historical Fiction Gets

A marvelous book. Law and politics in Republican Rome with all its shenanigans and back-room bargains. A brilliant portrayal of one of those eras when there were more larger-than-life personalities on the scene than the scene could comfortably hold. The convergence and clashes of these men (Cicero, Julius Caeser, Pompey, Crassus, Mark Antony, to name a few) and the ensuing intrigues are here told in the very human voice of Tiro, a historical figure who was Cicero's secretary (first as a slave, later freed).

In order to record every word of Cicero's oratory, Tiro invented the art of shorthand--a skill that figures prominently (if apocryphally) in this book's climax. He is known to have lived into his nineties--long after the death of Cicero--and is believed to have written a biography of the Great Man that was lost to history. This is a magnificent fictional reimagination of such a biography, told in a modern and engrossing voice by Robert Harris, (author of "Fatherland," "Ghost Writer," "Pompeii" and "The Fear Index"--all well worth reading). To add to the joy is the narration by Simon Jones, one of the best readers out there.

"Imperium" is the first of a trilogy and ends with Cicero's election as consul. The second book, "Conspirata" ("Lustrum" in the UK), covers his consulship and is an amazing view of Catalina's conspiracy. "Dictator" covers Cicero's life during civil wars that finally ended the Republic, the reign of Julius Caesar, and its aftermath.

Very enjoyable

This one is squarely in the the colorful, gossipy Roman tradition of Robert Graves & Colleen Mccullough. Political intrigue combined with courtroom drama and a fully realized cast of historic characters are are hard to beat. A very effective narration too. You don't have to be the Pontifex Maximus to predict there will be more volumes in this story. I look forward to them.

Imperium

Those who love historical novels like I do will really enjoy Imperium. This book is based on the life of Cicero, one of Rome's most persuasive lawyers and savy politician. His oratory is so famous that even hundreds of years after his speeches were made, they are read and used as examples to teach speech writers. One thing you will like is that there are many parallels between politics today and politics in the late Roman Republic. You will learn how Pompey and Julius Caesar went about riding the western world of the terrorists of their day. You will find yourself examining how you think about critical moral and political issues that are as pertinent today and they were in 50BC. The novel moves at a quick pace because Cicero had a fascinating and full life. The story is told through the first hand narrative of Cicero's slave, who was raised and educated to be Cicero's personal secretary. He was the inventer of shorthand, and is a very likeable character whom you will enjoy getting to know as he tell his story. All and all a good read and a decent listen. Enjoy.

Ancient Rome comes to life

Harris brings to life a tale of intrigue in the highly charged political climate of Ancient Rome. While some of the validity of the information presented may not be essentially correct, writing fiction based on reality especially about a subject as far removed from modern day, is no easy task! I found the narration kept my interest and the plot never becomes boring. I enjoyed the performance.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

This is an extremely well-crafted glimpse into the extreme politics of ancient Rome. Would that all leaders today read up on these folks and realize that history always repeats itself.