Imperium

By: Robert Harris

Narrated by: Bill Wallis

'Harris's novels about the Roman statesman Cicero, are perfect audiobook material.' 50 best audiobooks, Daily Mail

'Masterful' Sunday Times

'Gripping and accomplished' Guardian

'Truly gifted, razor-sharp' Daily Telegraph

Ancient Rome teems with ambitious and ruthless men. None is more brilliant than Marcus Cicero. A rising young lawyer, backed by a shrewd wife, he decides to gamble everything on one of the most dramatic courtroom battles of all time. Win it, and he could win control of Rome itself. Lose it, and he is finished forever.

Imperium is an epic account of the timeless struggle for power and the sudden disintegration of a society.

'In Harris' hands, the great game becomes a beautiful one' The Times

'A further step forward by this brilliant man who excels in everything he writers' Sunday Telegraph

Critic reviews

Harris's best so far, rapid and compelling in narrative, copious in detail, thoroughly researched but also, which is more important, thoroughly imagined... Irresistible (Allan Massie)

In Harris's hands, the great game becomes a beautiful one

Genres ancient and modern have rarely been so skilfully synthesised... Gripping and accomplished (Tom Holland)

A joy to read in every way, and as a mirror to the politics of our present age has no equal

Harris deploys the devices of the thriller writer to trace the perils and triumphs of Cicero's ascent ... A finely accomplished recreation of the power struggles of more than two millenniums ago

Fascinating … Imperium masterfully dramatises issues not only pertinent to a vanished world but to our own (Peter Kemp)

Harris [is] a truly gifted, razor-sharp writer... Enormously
entertaining

Possibly the best i have heard on audible so far

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

Beautifully written book. I could visualize every scene as if i was there personally. As a person who was already familiar with what happened in this story, the author was able to keep me in suspense over what was going to happen.

What about Bill Wallis’s performance did you like?

Amazing performance!!! The best ive heard!! He manipulates his voice slightly as he switches between characters, but enough to make you feel each one.

If you could take any character from Imperium out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Tiro!! Who else but the narrator and the one who witnessed it all.

Any additional comments?

Great book for those familiar with this period or Roman history and those who are completely unfamiliar with it.

Great book, great performance

I really love this wonderful book, and the performance is just spectacular. Such a great book to listen to!

Sheer brilliance

Cicero's early battles written like a political thriller or courtroom drama. Brilliant characters brought vividly to life.

Good novel, absolutely brilliant narration

I had read this a while ago and wanted to now listen to it as well. What a treat - the narration adds so much depth and eloquence to Cicero's already fascinating story. Bill Wallis was an absolutely fantastic actor and narrator, will happily listen to anything he has read for Audible, which I see are quite a few things.

Fascinating story, read by a superb narrator

If you could sum up Imperium in three words, what would they be?

Learning from history. The story of Cicero's political negotiations and manipulations has so many parallels to the present day.

Have you listened to any of Bill Wallis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Bill Wallis is a wonderful, wonderful actor. His 'presence' is perfect for this story and I especially enjoyed the subtle ways in which he distinguishes among the various characters. This was the first performance of his that I've heard, but it will not be the last. After finishing Imperium, I immediately bought Lustrum, which is also read by Wallis. I only wish that Wallace had narrated the third book in the series.