Dictator

A Novel

By: Robert Harris

Narrated by: David Rintoul

Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Imperium . . . Conspirata . . . and now Dictator—the long-awaited final volume of Robert Harris’s magnificent Ancient Rome Trilogy

At the age of forty-eight, Cicero—the greatest orator of his time—is in exile, separated from his wife and children, tormented by his sense of failure, his great power sacrificed on the altar of his principles. And yet, in the words of one of his most famous aphorisms, “While there is life, there is hope.”

By promising to support Caesar—his political enemy—he is granted return to Rome. There, he fights his way back to prominence: first in the law courts, then in the Senate, and finally by the power of his pen, until at last, for one brief and glorious period, he is again the preeminent statesman in the city. Even so, no public figure, however brilliant and cunning, is completely safeguarded against the unscrupulous ambition and corruption of others.

Riveting and tumultuous, Dictator encompasses some of the most epic events in ancient history—the collapse of the Roman Republic and the subsequent civil war, the murder of Pompey, the assassination of Julius Caesar. But the central problem it presents is a timeless one: how to keep political freedom unsullied by personal ambition, vested interests, and the erosive effects of ceaseless, senseless foreign wars. In Robert Harris’s indelible portrait, Cicero attempts to answer this question with both his thoughts and his deeds, becoming a hero—brilliant, flawed, frequently fearful yet ultimately brave—both for his own time and for ours.

©2016 Robert Harris (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

One of the Best Books of the Year: The Guardian, The Herald (Scotland), The Sunday Times (London), and The Spectator

“Harris is incapable of writing an unenjoyable book. . . . He captures the senselessness of triumviral intrigue magnificently, not relenting as the players meet their gruesome ends.” —Maxwell Carter, The Wall Street Journal

“To render convincingly a period as remote as that of Cicero’s is a stiff challenge for a novelist to meet, but it is the measure of Harris’s achievement that we experience a 2,000-year-old crisis as though we were reading about it in a contemporary memoir. . . . Yet the real triumph of Dictator is how successfully it channels what is perhaps the supreme fascination of ancient Rome: the degree to which it is at once eerily like our own world and yet profoundly alien. The challenges faced by Cicero will be recognizable to many a contemporary senator: welfare dependency; the legacy of illegal wars; anxiety that a venerable constitution is no longer fit for its purpose. . . . If it is indeed a mirror that Dictator holds up to the present, then the reflections it offers are unsettling and admonitory. This is historical fiction that is the very opposite of escapist.” —Tom Holland, The New York Times Book Review

Outstanding

I have eagerly been awaiting this final part of the trilogy for several years as the first two books were excellent. To be honest I was concerned at the beginning of Dictator when I discovered that Simon Jones was not narrating this final part. Simon Jones is one of the finest narrators in the audio book business and I was very accustomed to his characterizations so when it was announced that David Rintoul would be narrating this one I was disappointed – however, I must say that on listening to “Dictator”, I think Rintoul did a wonderful job. Robert Harris, in my opinion is the premier author of Historical fiction – the books of this trilogy are among my favorites because they are so well researched and detailed and he brings the characters to life in a way that most authors are unable to pull off.

In listening to this entire series, Harris seems to imply that the Roman Republic was doomed, the only question being by whose hand it would fall - by Caesar, Pompey, Catalina, Antony or Clodius. The intrigues that are so integral to this story are fascinating, a real life Game of Thrones. Told through the eyes of Tiro, the story is able to reveal character flaws and even strengths in all of the main characters. Cicero attempts to navigate through all of the moves of the various schemers and paradoxically he ultimately contributes to the final dissolution of the Republic and to the beginnings of the Roman Empire.

Dictator is a fitting end to the trilogy. It is thrilling, informative and one of the best books that I have listened to in quite a while. If you enjoy Roman History, I would strongly recommend this book as well as the other two books in the series (Imperium & Conspirata). Well worth the credit.

Such an amazing book

Well researched from an interesting point of view. A wonderful read. Make sure to download.

Awesome Awesome series

How have I not learned about Cicero before? What an amazing life story and completely in the thick of the fall of the Republic story we are so familiar with. Could not recommend this more for anyone who is interested in classic western history!

Fantastic book and great performance

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was performed like on stage and very gripping. It made me look up more about Roman history. Kln

Excellent

Cicero comes to life! I especially liked the details of life in Rome, particularly the women. The narrator was wonderful.

Outstanding narrator

Excellent book reinforced by a narration tour de force - it takes quite a narrator to bring to life the speeches of Cicero!

political drama

a great listen, what an incredible man! just like today it us repeated but with lesser men.

Simply Superb

Start with the first volume of this brilliant trilogy. Cicero's life and turbulent times will immerse you fully... This is great historical fiction.

Julius Caesar redux

Historical fiction about the events of Shakespeare's play. Well presented. Inspired me to listen to the prequels.

Superb

The last of an exceptional trilogy following Cicero and the world around him. The reading of is also perfection. Start with “Imperium” and enjoy the journey!