Cutter's Island: Caesar In Captivity

by Vincent Panella

Here we find Caesar at age 25 captured by pirates as he sails to the Island of Rhodes to study rhetoric with Apollonius Molon. In the encounter with Cutter -- the clever, bloodthirsty pirate -- and his band of assassins -- Caesar finds a new strength of purpose and an unexpected vehicle for him to hone his tactical skills, something he must develop if he is to equal or surpass his contemporaries. In eloquent and burnished prose, Vincent Panella's Caesar tells the story of his kidnapping and ransom -- and his solemn vow to avenge his forty days of captivity. In his final encounter with the wily pirate and his men, Caesar is challenged to become himself at last.

Genres: Historical Fiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[Juliet Waldron]

A beautifully constructed and written historical. The tale of Caesar in Captivity was not familiar to me, but it seems to have been a turning point in his young life. The author has recreated the episode with sophistication and absolute familiarity with the world in which his story is laid. A real jewel of a book.

[Keith Currie]

This short novel flatters to deceive, I think. The story of how Julius Caesar is captured by pirates and how his experiences in captivity help to shape his later life comes across as ultimately rather superficial. I did, however, enjoy the book, which is well told and, at times, moving, especially in tracing the developing relationship between the aristocratic Caesar and the pirate chief, Cutter.

[Barbara R. Blakeslee]

A Masterpiece

Both in the power of its language and in its historical accuracy Vincent Panella has written a masterpiece. Millenia fade away, and we are transported to a world that no longer exists, but which seizes us with the immediacy of the present day. Read it!