Reconstruction of the lost memoirs of Emperor Augustus; an account from the killing of Caesar to his own death. After Caesar and Antony, the third volume of this series of historical novels about the Roman Empire. The remarkable recovery of the drama and glory of a unique historic character.
An excellent novel but not the usual "Roman era" Massie. I read and greatly enjoyed his classical trilogy (Caesar, Augustus and Tiberius) and I enjoyed this one maybe even more because it is different; more cynical and personal, less about the grand sweep of history and the deeds of famous men, i...
The humiliation of addiction, the humiliation of failure, the humiliation of dependence. Once in New York, when he was editing Decision, his most ambitious magazine, he had overheard Auden’s lover Chester dismiss him as “the superfluous Klaus”. And there were those who mocked him for making the j...
‘I want to know who her clients were.’Peniel shifted in his chair.‘I don’t know why you’ve brought me here. You were told to lay off.’ Moncerre, standing by the window, filling his pipe, laughed.‘You’ve got a nerve,’ he said, ‘I’ll give you that. But I’ve had a word with a couple of my friends in...
More than once he felt around it, made as if to insert his thumb under the flap, only to lay it down again. He picked it up and ran his tongue round the edges, and replaced it on the desk. He lay back in his chair and lit a cigarette, got up and crossed the room to look out of the window, but if ...
It is that moment when bonds of interest and affection, which commonly act as a restraint on the passions and the individual will, are severed; the murderer rejects the authority of society, and, in doing so, proclaims himself an alien. In society we live amicably by accepting limitations placed ...