The First Man in Rome (Masters of Rome, #1) in Aussie Readers

Apr 12, 2016 Nancy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

This was a huge, sweeping book which was enjoyable from the beginning to the end. Ordinarily, I avoid books of this size as I often get bogged down, but this one just seemed to flow. There were definitely times when the detail could have been cut down, but I was so keen to know what happened and I loved the stories of the political machinations which Gaius Marius and Sulla engaged in. Both were admirable characters whom I really liked. At times I was so engrossed in Ancient Rome that I would loo ...more

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Jan 28, 2023 John rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a massive novel spanning the years 110–100 BC and explores the rise of the Roman general and Consul Gaius Marius and the future dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla.

The thesis of this novel (and the others in this series) is that as Rome grew in both power and influence in the Mediterranean area, the traditional ways of doing Roman politics became cumbersome and it became more and more difficult to govern an empire with a system designed for a small city state. This in turn left to the rise o ...more

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Feb 08, 2008 Ainsley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Absolutely recomended! Remember hearing the author give a speech in Republican Roman history and being spellbound. It is such a pleasure reading historical fiction by someone who knows what she is writing about. When that someone is already a good author in thier own right, it just takes it to another level. McCullough sits well with Graves.

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