Customer Reviews

I, Caesar: Ruling the Roman Empire

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As someone who has heard of the Roman empire but knows little more than what the movies show, this book proved ideal for me. It is clear, concise and not trying to be clever. Too often academics are more interested in impressing their peers than conveying the necessary information to a lay reader like me. I thought the chapters were each great reads but also as a whole gave me a suberb understanding of the Roman empire as a whole. The photographs are very good too. If I have a criticism it is that perhaps the chapters are a bit short but I guess it's better that than too long. In sum, therefore, the perfect "way-in" to Roman history. The chapters on Caesar, Nero and Justinian are particularly good.

I love history, and can't stand reading history books. Too often the books are so cluttered with the author's attempts to challenge previous perceptions of the past along with the justifications of those claims, that it is difficult for the reader to actually gain any incite about the subject which for which they craved education. (I want to read a book, not a dissertation.)

"I, Caesar" is a different history book. It's the kind of history book I wish more authors would write. Most important, Grabsky is able to write. He is able to present the material in an approachable manner that is easily interpreted by the reader. He makes a few far reaching claims, but these are presented very obviously and any reader will easily be able to approach them with a grain of salt.

The subject of the book covers the history of the Roman Empire spanning from the first Caesar to the last. Several chapters are dedicated to focusing on the more accomplished leaders such as Augustus, Hadrian, and Constantine.

This book is wonderful for anyone who wishes to approach the subject of Roman history without a strong background in the area. I feel it is a wonderful introduction, and may be used as a springboard to either dive deeper in to the subject of Roman History or into the Middle Ages that follow this period.