This book covers the life of Augustus Octavian, the greatest roman emperor to ever live. The whole book is structured as a series of letters between various noble man of the time. It is incredible what John Williams managed to achieve with this approach, the letter form gives the book authenticity, originality and the right kind of atmosphere. Williams depicts the character of Augustus perfectly and describes what sacrifices a man has to take when caring about the greater good above all else. Many other historical characters are brought back to life masterfully: Marc Anthony, Cicero, Agripa, Maecanne, Julia, Livia and Tiberus.
I enjoyed every moment while reading this masterpiece.
5 stars