Antony and Cleopatra
Large Print Edition
By Colleen McCullough Wheeler - Windsor - Paragon (2007)
ISBN 10: 1-59722-664-5
ISBN 13: 978-1-59722-664-6
Genre: Historical Fiction
Reviewed by Auggie Moore - March 31, 2008
Ancient Rome once again comes to life in Antony and Cleopatra, the newest edition to Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series. In this installment, McCullough chronicles one of the best-known love stories of all time - the one between Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt. Antony and Cleopatra picks up the story where The October Horse ended. As such it takes place after Gaius Julius Caesar's death and the uneasy division of the Roman Empire into East and Western dominions, with Antony ruling the East and Octavian (who later became the Emperor Augustus) the Western Empire, and both wanting control of the entire Roman Empire.
Within the pages of this gripping historical novel, McCullough brings to life not only such well-known historical figures as Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian, but also the lives of their family members and associates. Rich with historic details, and enlivened by McCullough's riveting narrative style and expert handling of a complex and intricate story line, Antony and Cleopatra is a memorable book that will give you a unique take on this tragic love-affair.
This is a story full of intrigue, political machinations, jealous rivalries, and powerful women all striving to advance the cause of the men in their lives while also solidifying their own positions. To complicate matters, Antony and Octavian's power sharing arraignment is fragile at best, and both men are intent upon wresting total control of the Roman Empire from the other. At the same time, Antony and Cleopatra are conspiring to have Cleopatra's son, Caesarion (Ptolemy XV), by Julius Caesar, named the heir to the Roman throne.
Although the ending of this story is well-known, McCullough writing will keep you riveted to the book as you breathlessly await for the final denouncement and the tragic finale to this timeless story of love and intrigue.
Complete with maps and a glossary of terms, Antony and Cleopatra not only presents the reader with an absorbing and action-packed tale, but also a subtle history lesson that will inspire you to learn more about the fascinating world of the Ancient Romans. Antony and Cleopatra is supposedly the last book in McCullough's Masters of Rome series. If it turns out that this is indeed the final book in the series, it will serve as a fitting end to this marvelously written and researched series.
Related Reviews:
The Judgement of Caesar, by Steven Saylor.
In this installment of the Roma Sub Rosa series, Gordianus the Finder is in Egypt and must solve a murder mystery set against the backdrop of Julius Caesar's first meeting with Cleopatra. (Large Print)
Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome, by Robert Harris.
The first part in a planned trilogy about the life and exploits of Marcus Tullius Cicero, as recounted by Tiro, his confidential secretary and slave who served Cicero for more than 35 years. Although a work of fiction, this book is based on fact and it presents an absorbing overview of Cicero's life. (Large Print)
