Augustus

The Life of Rome's First Emperor

By: Anthony Everitt

Narrated by: John Curless

Length: 15 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Historian Anthony Everitt earned widespread critical acclaim for his best-selling biography of Cicero. Now, with Augustus, he delivers his second spellbinding account of a Roman icon whose legacy has echoed through the ages.

Caesar Augustus has been called history's greatest emperor. It was said he found Rome made of clay and left it made of marble. With a senator for a father and Julius Caesar for a great-uncle, he ascended the ranks of Roman society with breathtaking speed. His courage in battle is still questioned, yet his political savvy was second to none. He had a lifelong rival in Mark Antony and a 51-year companion in his wife, Livia. And his influence extended perhaps further than that of any ruler who has ever lived.

Drawing on the available information, while making a handful of his own groundbreaking assertions, Everitt brings the real Augustus to vivid life in this fascinating narrative.

©2006 Anthony Everitt (P)2006 Recorded Books LLC

Critic reviews

"This familiar story is fresh again in this lively retelling." (Publishers Weekly)
"Everitt's writing is so crisp and so lively he brings both Rome and Augustus to life in this magnificent work, a must-read for anyone interested in classical times." (Booklist)

The real thing

This is a serious and well researched Biography of a man most of us know as the villain of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and the old fool in I Claudius.
It is eminently clear from Augustus, that he was a born power broker and getter. If he was corrupt it was the kind of corruption we still see in the political arena. The US does not see much in the way of political assasination, but it is certainly a way of life in many countries today just as it was in Rome. This book is very well worth the read.

The Best Book I've Read In A long Time

If you are interested with anything to do with ancient Rome,read this book!!!!

A Very Helpful Narrative

Mr. Everett synthesizes the various accounts of Rome's first emporer's life into an understandable narrative. The complex aspects of his life including the not mutually exclusive characteristics of opportunistic egomaniac and innovative just ruler are explored. An ugly picture of the barbarism of the ancient world becomes obvious. This book helped me understand the roman empire from the perspective of a great pivotal time, from the end of the old republic, through the civil wars, and the foundation of the empire.

Interesting

I enjoyed this book, and I adore the narrator's British accent. The book contains detailed information about Roman lives in and around 40 BC as well as Augustus' personal and political life, although I have to admit, after Actium, the book seemed a little dull and I struggled to finish the last third of the book, but it's still very informative nonetheless.

Good survey of a life and Roman history BC63 AD14

Well narrated, very enjoyable. Does a good job of describing the transition of Roman society from Republic to Empire. Lengthy discussions of Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony. Interesting insights into family relations/politics after the death of Anthony.

A riveting account of Augustus

Anthony Everitt's Augustus is one of the most developed and three dimensional portraits I've read on Caesar Augustus. Everitt is insightful without being pedantic, and not afraid to give his opinion in filling in the historical gaps. Another excellent biography that is as entertaining as his biography of Hannibal.

This is a fantastic book!

What made the experience of listening to Augustus the most enjoyable?

I loved everything about this book. Ancient Rome is one of my passions. It is a very in-depth listen, however.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Octavian of course. I really was lacking gaps into his story and this covered just about everything that I was missing. Marc Antony and Cleopatra were great characters in this listen too. I think a good biography on Cleopatra is going to be my next listen!

What does John Curless bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I honestly don't know because I probably couldn't get through reading the book!

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

Absolutely NOT!

Any additional comments?

The guy who reads the book is fantastic. He is articulate and reads at a great speed!

Excellent read!

Well written and well read. I enjoyed the life and times of Cicero so much that I wanted to continue on with Augustus.
The socioeconomic parallels between Rome and our modern culture are amazing. Hopefully we can learn from the past, but unlikely. At least those of us who read will recognize the writing on the wall.

Workmanlike

Having been completely captivated by Robert Graves' "I Claudius" when I was young, first as a book and then in the brilliant Masterpiece Theatre series, I'm afraid I was a fairly tough audience for this entirely workmanlike and respectable biography of the pivotal Augustus. It is completely unfair and foolish to compare history with historical fiction--different rules and different objectives. Nonetheless, I could have hoped for a style and approach which were somewhat more evocative of the world in which Augustus operated. Almost all of the context here is political or military which is somewhat disappointing when you are dealing with an era which is so rich in so many other ways. Of course the historian is limited by the available sources, but I think Everitt could have utilized a good deal more of the available material on the social and physical milieu of the times.

Nonetheless, I never found my interest flagging. The presentation of the material was coherent and there is more than enough fascinating detail to draw one along. Where the historical record is too scanty to provide definitive answers to key questions, the author speculates, carefully laying out the evidence for alternative theories and making some tentative judgements about the most likely answers in a way which leaves paths open for further speculation.

So while this is certainly not a riveting account of Augustus’ life, it is definitely worth your time and credit if you want a solid introduction to the subject.

A well rounded history of Augustus

A well written and well narrated history of Augustus. Definitely worth a credit. Highly recommend.