Reply #9: I discoved this series 18 months ago and it literally has changed my life....

[Rowdyboy]

I'm retired and have time to read for pleasure but I prefer to learn something too. I was a history major in college but really had little awareness of exactly how Roman history went. I started "First Man in Rome" (which is the 1st book in the series) maybe 4 times before I got beyond the first 100 pages but when I did I was absolutely hooked. I devoured all seven books of the series and have since reread the first two books.

In addition I've read biographies of Augustus, Tiberius, "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God" by Robert Graves, "Julian" by Gore Vidal and "Roma" by Steven Sailor. I'm currently reading "Conspirator" by Robert Harris and a serious history of the Punic Wars. I'm addicted to ancient Rome.

Of all the books I've read, McCullough's move me the most. She is absolutely superb-a masterful artist who paints vivid pictures of oh so very believable characters. Sadly she is elderly, very ill and pretty much in constant pain so her writing has dropped off significantly.

Reading this series is easily the equivalent of a college course on Roman history. The political parallels to today are very evident. Cato, Cicero, Brutus, Cassius and (eventually Pompey) were among the wealthy patricians who opposed the populist Caesar. Cato literally invented filibustering in one of the books. What has impressed me most is that so much of her work is merely adding slightly to the historical record. This is quality historical fiction.

Its gotten so bad that my partner and I have our Halloween costumes already. I'm going as "Julius Cheeser" (toga with a Wisconsin Cheesehead) and my partner as "Senator Gluteus Maximus" (I'll let you imagine the details)

Thanks for your post. I've been wanting to talk about this flawless series of books for awhile now.