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I was enjoying this book up to a point, a Gaulish warrior traveling through Caesar's Rome to Persia. The perspective was interesting. I felt like it was going to be a solid rec for people who love Shogun etc.

Then it got to Greece and the portrayal of two young teens sexuality was deeply horrible. It's a subject that takes a delicate hand, but this went somewhere beyond being clumsy, into territory that I found deeply repulsive.

“There is in fact no way of correcting wrongdoing in those who think that the height of virtue consists in the execution of their will.”

"Sovereign power is nothing if it does not care for the welfare of others, and...it is the task of a good ruler to keep his power in check, to resist the passions of unbridled desire and implacable rage."

It‘s good to be the King!…
…until it isn‘t.

A consul's wife asks Marcus Corvinus to look into the death of her uncle, whose death Alexander the Great has assured her in a seance was murder rather than an accident.

Very funny first few chapters lead into an intriguing historical mystery which made me wonder when certain names cropped up how it would gel with real events and which was told by a narrator with a consistently amusing “voice“.

November in Rome sucks.

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Follows the same formula as I Claudius—same framing, same dry prose—but without a Caligula to stir things up, the results are less satisfying.

My knowledge of Roman nobility was pretty much nonexistent until recently. So, regardless of the slog that this book kinda was, I am glad to say that I am a more learned man for having read it. The audiobook includes some short historical biographies after Claudius‘s death, which was an unexpected bonus!

The 2nd half of the book, is Caesar conquering more places in Europe and becoming the ruler of Rome. He then got stabbed by a group, like Brutus and Gaius. They got into power and made their own territories. Caesar's cousin, Octavius, who was revealed to be adopted by Caesar went to war with Brutus and Gaius and reclaimed Caesar's legacy. If you like books that are historical then this book is for you.

Caesar's Legion, a book about Caesar's many great battles which mostly were his victory. Giving a focus on his 10th legion which Caesar gave extra attention (rigorous training, discipline, and better food.) to became one of his strongest armies he commands. The story starts with a battle, that shortly cuts to the start of Caesar's reign as a general. The first half talks about his battles with Parts of Europe. The view is a 3rd person observer.

I recently finished a Great Courses about Roman emperors and the lecturer mentioned I Claudius multiple times as a good ‘novelization‘ of his subject. He‘s not wrong, but…

The novel can be dry and any dialogue is an info dump. Of course, Graves had no easy task and I can‘t see a better way to do it without losing integrity. And I suppose you could chalk the book‘s success up to Rome itself: it‘s telling how easily it takes you under its spell.

September book select time!