Caesar

Life of a Colossus

By: Adrian Goldsworthy

Narrated by: Derek Perkins

Tracing the extraordinary trajectory of Julius Caesar's life, Adrian Goldsworthy covers not only the great Roman emperor's accomplishments as charismatic orator, conquering general, and powerful dictator but also lesser-known chapters. Ultimately, Goldsworthy realizes the full complexity of Caesar's character and shows why his political and military leadership continues to resonate some 2,000 years later. In this landmark biography, Goldsworthy examines Caesar as a military leader, as well as his other roles, and places his subject firmly within the context of Roman society in the first century B.C.

©2006 Adrian Goldsworthy (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

"More compellingly than most biographies, Goldsworthy's exhaustive, lucid, elegantly written life makes its subject the embodiment of his age." ( Publishers Weekly)

In-depth, interesting and expertly narrated

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

In-depth, expertly narrated

What did you like best about this story?

While the order of information some times jumps back and forth in a confusing way, the story of Caesar is brought to life here by Derek Perkins' excellent narration. I wish all history books were narrated by him quite frankly!Clocking in at 24 hours 46 minutes, this took me almost a month of daily driving to get through and I was enthralled through every bit. This really does feel like a complete telling of Caesar's life and done in a way that makes the events seem vivid and exciting.Highly recommended for fans of history and for those curious about the minutia of the daily life of Romans during the time of Caesar's life.

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

Derek Perkins does a wonderful job of sounding authoritative but still playful. His pronunciation, diction and general style fits the subject matter wonderfully and enhances those few mundane areas. He does a fantastic job here, kept me interested through all ~25 hours of the book!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The story of Caesar's capture by pirates was particularly entertaining. I won't spoil it here though!

Any additional comments?

Be aware, this is a LONG audiobook. Put aside a month to get through it.There is also a lot of similar sounding names and places, so if you don't have an ear for that you may find it a little confusing. The narration does help this a lot however, but be aware nonetheless.

pretty good

The reader did OK, but could not quite decide how he wanted to pronounce the Latin words and names. At times he seemed to use "CHURCH" Latin and at other times he used 1st century bce pronunciations. It was distracting at times.
In general I liked the book and the performance.

A Life Fully Lived

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

This is the well told and researched tale of one of the most prolific men who ever lived. Caesar exploits, his sheer determination and ability to invest his whole existence into great and dangerous gambles make him a both a model for the ambitious, and a warning for those who would rather live the quiet life. Goldsworthy does a strenuous and well documented job of putting a complicated life in perspective, and showcasing both the genius of Caesar's leadership, his personal scandals and exploits, and a life that reads like no other. A fine and enjoyable book for anyone who wants a clear picture of the man. Notably read by Derek Perkins.

Almost too good

I found it interesting but it is rather long and very detailed. For some people that is a good thing. I think that for others, maybe not so much. There were a lot of people that were important to the story details that I had never heard of and of which casual readers may not be interested in. I think the casual reader may be happier with a shorter biography.

beautifully detailed

another wonderful look at one of the most iconic people in history. Adrian Goldsworthy indepth look at the life of Julius Caesar is a breath of fresh air compared to other accounts of the commentaries. and Derek Perkins narration and pronunciation is enjoyable to listen too.

Recommend for anyone interested in life of Caesar

Starts slowly but really picks up with Gaul and Britain campaigns. Excellent read and very interesting!

Great overview of Caesar's life

A great book delivered expertly by the narrator, this book was absolutely riveting. I would absolutely recommend this book to anybody with an interest in the life of Caesar or of the end of the Roman Republic. I look forward to listening to the rest of Goldsworthy's work.

Very Informative & Intrestinng

The book seemed to me to be weighed towards the political processes of the Roman Republic and Cesare's manipulation of them and the Senate. His military history was covered in that light. I still learner much, in my autodidactic , post retirement education plan.

well done historical story

Gave indept look into the Roman senate. Gave adequate amounts ofstory telling to his death without overdoing it. bravo

Great book on Caesar

I didn’t know much about Caesar, other than a few things from school, and others from television and film. This was a great overview of his life, with incredible detail, and told in a great way.