Roma

The Novel of Ancient Rome

By: Steven Saylor

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 22 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Weaving history, legend, and new archaeological discoveries into a spellbinding narrative, critically acclaimed novelist Steven Saylor gives new life to the drama of the city's first 1,000 years - from the founding of the city by the ill-fated twins Romulus and Remus, through Rome's astonishing ascent to become the capital of the most powerful empire in history.

Roma recounts the tragedy of the hero-traitor Coriolanus, the capture of the city by the Gauls, the invasion of Hannibal, the bitter political struggles of the patricians and plebeians, and the ultimate death of Rome's Republic with the triumph, and assassination, of Julius Caesar.

Witnessing this history, and sometimes playing key roles, are the descendents of two of Rome's first families: the Potitius and Pinarius clans. One is the confidant of Romulus. One is born a slave and tempts a Vestal virgin to break her vows. One becomes a mass murderer. And one becomes the heir of Julius Caesar. Linking the generations is a mysterious talisman as ancient as the city itself.

Epic in every sense of the word, Roma is a panoramic historical saga and Saylor's finest achievement to date.

©2007 Steven Saylor (P)2007 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"Solidly anchored in fact and vividly imagined." (Publishers Weekly)

Not worth two credits

Although the narrator does a great job with this book, I would not spend two credits on this book. It reads like a children's book with a few rated R scenes thrown in for reasons that seem to have little to do with the overall progress of the story.
Suggestions for something to read about Ancient Rome that is better literature: Pompeii by Robert Harris or either of the Claudius books by Robert Graves.

read it now heard it MAGNIFICENT

After reading all of Steven saylors books I now decided to hear them on audio , and can't help but say MAGNIFICENT

Stunning, fun and a great lesson in history.

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

No

What did you like best about this story?

History brought to life in a fascinating story. Can't wait to get the next book.

Which character – as performed by John Lee – was your favorite?

Learning about the Lupercalia, loved re-living of the run of the wolves.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Living history

Any additional comments?

Loved it all, every second.

a great read from a novel perspective.

I enjoyed listening to the book. it was nice how the narrative tool was used to connect the parts of history.

Excellent

ROMA is one of my absolute favorite books. Highly recommended for historical fiction fans.

Great history. Jerky timeline

I love the Gordianus the Finder series. So I thought I would give this a try. I find that Steven Saylor not only delivers the facts of history, but the feel of the times. With that said, each chapter jumps about 2 generations forward. This just didn't flow nicely for me. It felt jerky. I did finish this book, and it certainly covers a lot of time. But I won't be taking up the sequel. I will be going back to the Gordianus series.

Wonderful Audiobook--Well worth 2 credits, even 3!

I have had this book on my wish list for quite sometime, but I was hesitant to spend 2 credits after reading the negative reviews here. I'm so sorry I hesitated. I've learned to ignore certain negative reviewers...maybe the reviewers themselves should be rated, as well as the book.

After reading Colleen McCullough's excellent "Masters of Rome series", I was interested in finding more on Rome. I tried Livy's History of Rome, which was good, but was so dry, and lacking in color or excitement, that I was unable to finish it. So I decided to try Steven Saylor's book. After only a few minutes of listening, I was rewarded with a wonderful, colorful, story of ancient Rome as Livy probably wished he had written it. Suddenly, Livy's stories made sense after listening to Roma by Saylor. Saylor obviously has absorbed and studied much of Livy, and he has fleshed out and enriched the barebone details of the ancient work, making it accessible and entertaining. For example, the three or four paragraphs in which Livy sketches the story of Hercules in Rome, becomes a lengthy, full chapter of adventure in Saylor's novel. The chapters on Romulus and Remus were so good, I wanted to read them twice. I never understood the significance of the Roman religious festivals such as Lupercalia (the original Valentine's Day), and so often found them boring. But after listening to Saylor's vivid descriptions and explanations, I find I want to celebrate Lupercalia myself!

Well worth two credits, and maybe even three. For the first time ever, I found myself listening to 7 hours at one sitting. A true historical adventure novel in the fashion of "Sarum" by Edward Rutherford, this work by Saylor surpassed my greatest expectations. If you're into historical novels, don't let this one go by without checking it out. Ignore the negative reviews, and you'll be pleasantly surprised. I was.

Very Entertaining

Any additional comments?

Even though this is a very long audiobook, I found that I was disappointed once it was finished. I know that there is another in the series, so I guess I will have to get it to complete my fix! :) Very well done and highly recommended!

Entertaining and educational

This book gives the background of Roma from a tiny village, a republic on the brink of the empire. Empire is the next book and is more enjoyable after reading this one. Saylor brings a personal touch to his books. It is a highly suggested read for anyone that wants to learn the history of Rome. I've read all of the Gordianus the finder books too. Loved all of them.

Great, for those who need their history spoon fed.

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

Don't think John Lee is capable of anything less than great.

Any additional comments?

I prefer hard histories that present the known facts through archeology, contemporary histories or whatever sources may be available. Saylor uses a family and their decendents as a device to follow the major events from the birth of Rome through the end of the Empire. It works, but I take exception to stuffing words into the mouths of historical figures. Guess I've outgrown historical fiction.