-Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnet, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Above all else, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world. She was married twice, each time to a brother. She waged a brutal civil war against the first when both were teenagers. She poisoned the second. Cleopatra appears to have had sex with only two men. They happen, however, to have been Julius Caesar ...
Read More
-Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnet, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Above all else, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world. She was married twice, each time to a brother. She waged a brutal civil war against the first when both were teenagers. She poisoned the second. Cleopatra appears to have had sex with only two men. They happen, however, to have been Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, among the most prominent Romans of the day. Cleopatra had a child with Caesar and--after his murder--three more with his protege. Already she was the wealthiest ruler in the Mediterranean; the relationship with Antony confirmed her status as the most influential woman of the age. The two would together attempt to forge a new empire, in an alliance that spelled their ends. In a masterly return to the classical sources, Stacy Schiff here boldly separates fact from fiction to rescue the magnetic queen whose death ushered in a new world order. Rich in detail, epic in scope, Schiff's is a luminous, deeply original reconstruction of a dazzling life.
Read Less
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. 12 AUDIO CDs withdrawn from the library collection. Some library marking. We will take the time to polish each of the CDs for good sound quality. Enjoy this reliable AUDIO CD performance.
The writer of this book seems to try to outdo herself with each sarcastic comment. I bought the book to read about Cleopatra, not to read the writer's ongoing effort to outdo her own sarcasm with each sentence. Maybe I don't get it, maybe I just don't get historian "humor", but if this is it, I hope I never run into it again. I'd rather just have the facts as the writer knows them than her effort to insert her own sarcasm on every page. I hope I never have the bad luck to read anything else from this author.
Jan C
Jul 19, 2012
Informative, but dry as dust, much like Cleo's present state.
Richard W
Apr 28, 2011
appropriate while visiting Turkey
I read Cleopatra while touring Turkey. I felt it was very helpful in understanding the Greek gods and mythology that preceded Christianity and Islam. However it did get a little repetitive at times.
BD0407
Apr 24, 2011
I LOVED THIS BOOK-SO MUCH FACT, FICTION AND MYTH MIXED--AN EXCELLENT READ. IT SURE WILL BE A CHALLENGE TO THE MOVIE MAKERS.
