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A review by skitch41
Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar by Tom Holland
4.0
(Reviewer's Note: I just wrote a more in depth review of this book on my weekly book blog. If you like this review and would like to read more, click on the following link: https://tobereadnow.blogspot.com/2017/06/a-show-of-liberty-lessons-from-tom.html)
I loved Mr. Holland's Rubicon when I read it in high school and I've had my eye on this sequel for some time now. And while not as memorable as his previous book, Mr. Holland does not fail to deliver in this history of the Julio-Claudian line of Roman emperors.
Starting with a quick recap of the events leading up to the death of Julius Caesar covered in Rubicon, Mr. Holland follows the lives and rules of the Caesars from Augustus through to Nero. Like his previous book, he synthesizes multiple ancient sources into one exciting historical narrative. This is history told by the hand of a well practiced novelist. Mr. holland doesn't mince words either. He talks about violence and sex with a casualness worthy of his Roman subjects. This is definitely not a book for readers younger than high school.
However, there are some problems with this book. Mr. Holland has a tendency, particularly in the middle chapters, to bounce around the timeline in his narrative. This wouldn't be so bad if the Romans didn't have a nasty habit of naming their kids the same over every generation, particularly the women. Honestly, there are so many Agrippinas and Livias and Drusillas that I doubt anyone can keep their characters straight.
Still, this is a great book about the first decades of the Roman Empire that I would,highly recommend to anyone interested in the period.
I loved Mr. Holland's Rubicon when I read it in high school and I've had my eye on this sequel for some time now. And while not as memorable as his previous book, Mr. Holland does not fail to deliver in this history of the Julio-Claudian line of Roman emperors.
Starting with a quick recap of the events leading up to the death of Julius Caesar covered in Rubicon, Mr. Holland follows the lives and rules of the Caesars from Augustus through to Nero. Like his previous book, he synthesizes multiple ancient sources into one exciting historical narrative. This is history told by the hand of a well practiced novelist. Mr. holland doesn't mince words either. He talks about violence and sex with a casualness worthy of his Roman subjects. This is definitely not a book for readers younger than high school.
However, there are some problems with this book. Mr. Holland has a tendency, particularly in the middle chapters, to bounce around the timeline in his narrative. This wouldn't be so bad if the Romans didn't have a nasty habit of naming their kids the same over every generation, particularly the women. Honestly, there are so many Agrippinas and Livias and Drusillas that I doubt anyone can keep their characters straight.
Still, this is a great book about the first decades of the Roman Empire that I would,highly recommend to anyone interested in the period.