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Caesar: Life of a Colossus Paperback – Illustrated, January 28, 2008

by Adrian Goldsworthy (Author)

4.6 1,968 ratings

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Named 2006 Best Book of the Year by Amazon.com

“An authoritative and exciting portrait not only of Caesar but of the complex society in which he lived.”—Steven Coates, New York Times Book Review

“The best introduction to Caesar and his world that is currently available.”—Karl Galinsky, Bookforum

Tracing the extraordinary trajectory of the great Roman emperor’s life, Goldsworthy covers not only the great Roman emperor’s accomplishments as charismatic orator, conquering general, and powerful dictator but also lesser-known chapters during which he was high priest of an exotic cult, captive of pirates, seducer not only of Cleopatra but also of the wives of his two main political rivals, and rebel condemned by his own country. Ultimately, Goldsworthy realizes the full complexity of Caesar’s character and shows why his political and military leadership continues to resonate some two thousand years later. In the introduction to his biography of the great Roman emperor, Adrian Goldsworthy writes, “Caesar was at times many things, including a fugitive, prisoner, rising politician, army leader, legal advocate, rebel, dictator . . . as well as husband, father, lover and adulterer.” In this landmark biography, Goldsworthy examines Caesar as military leader, all of these roles and places his subject firmly within the context of Roman society in the first century B.C.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[An] excellent biography. . . . Goldsworthy tells this story with great skill and narrative force . . . [and] provides a great deal of vivid detail.”—Mark Miller, Wall Street Journal

“An authoritative and exciting portrait not only of Caesar but of the complex society in which he lived.”—Steven Coates, New York Times Book Review

“A rich and remarkably complete panorama of the times and the man. . . . The best introduction to Caesar and his world that is currently available.”—Karl Galinsky, Bookforum

“This book makes and insightfully explains the leap from Caesar the soldier and general to Caesar the statesman and nation builder. It’s better than any book I’ve ever read on him, and more incisive.”—Wall Street Journal (cited by Leo J. Hindery Jr., CEO of InterMedia Partners VII LLP, as recommended reading of biographies and autobiographies of great leaders for those plotting a career path to the corner office)

“Monumental. . . . [Goldsworthy] writes with great style.”—Atlantic Monthly

“The man who virtually defined the West’s concept of leadership comes alive in this splendid biography. Military historian Goldsworthy gives a comprehensive, vigorous account of Caesar’s conquest of Gaul and his victories in the civil war that made him master of Rome. But he doesn’t stint on the nonmartial aspects of Caesar’s life—his dandyism, his flagrant womanizing (which didn’t stop enemies from gay-baiting him), his supple political genius and the flair for drama and showmanship that cowed mutinous legionaries and courted Rome’s restive masses. . . . Goldsworthy’s exhaustive, lucid, elegantly written life makes its subject the embodiment of his age.&rdquo—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[A] definitive and entertaining new biography. . . . Goldsworthy is renowned as a military historian, but his coverage here of messy late Republican politics is also authoritative and crystal clear. He gives us a colourful sense of the wider world and Roman society at this time, and above all, the commanding, unmistakable presence of the timelessly fascinating man himself.”—Christopher Hart, Independent

“The analysis of Caesar’s generalship is predictably excellent, the account of the Gallic wars, in particular, has rarely been bettered.”—Tom Holland, The Spectator

“This is an engaging and well-drawn resource for those who wish to be introduced to the man who was Caesar. . . . Additions to Goldsworthy’s text include a chronology of key events, a glossary, and notes. Recommended for academic and larger public libraries.”—Library Journal

“Eternally intriguing history readers, the end of the Roman Republic receives astute analysis and dramatic narration in Goldsworthy’s life of Caesar.”—Booklist

“Caesar: Life of a Colossus succeeds in capturing all the drama and complexity of this best-known of lives. Mr. Goldsworthy . . . has real narrative gifts, as well as an encyclopedic knowledge of late republican Rome. Together, these strengths make Caesar one of the most fascinating biographies you will come across this year.”—Adam Kirsch, New York Sun

“Lively and accessible.”—Mike Oppenheim, Journal of Military History

“[Goldsworthy] succeeds in returning the man to his time and place and reminds us how it all could have been very different.”—Blake D. Dvorak, Washington Times

“Excellent and very readable. . . . Designed for the general reader or a lover of history and [it is a] reading experience of the first order.”—David Walton, MilwaukeeJournal Sentinel

“A superb and absorbing life of the man who came, saw and conquered—and then was murdered for his trouble.”—J. Peder Zane, News and Observer

“Noteworthy. . . . Goldsworthy gives a thorough account of Caesar’s military accomplishments as well as painting a vivid portrait of both the man and the power-hungry world he inhabited.”—Christian Science Monitor

“Goldsworthy’s deep knowledge of Caesar’s times makes it possible to fill in all sorts of details on education, military affairs, marriage customs, but most of all on the ferocious politics of Caesar’s time. . . . [A] fine biography which brings, in prose which is never pedantic or dull, depth, color and context to his amazing life and interesting times.”—John Lisenmeyer, Greenwich Times

“This is an absorbing tale, more exciting than any modern-day mystery or thriller. It has drama, intrigue, affairs, spectacular battles, brilliant politics, and a charismatic central figure. Moreover, it is a solid work that brings to life the rich world of the Mediterranean in the decade before Christ.”—Geeta Sharma-Jensen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Goldsworthy tells Caesar’s story with professional detachment, extensive understanding of the institutional and political mechanisms of the late Republic, and proficiency with the Latin and Greek sources. . . . [He] weaves together a rich and engaging narrative that gives full weight to the importance of political, personal, and family obligations that defined the course of Caesar’s life. . . . A clear and captivating picture of the man who forever changed Rome.”—Daniel Larison, American Conservative

“Goldsworthy has written an excellent book aimed at readers at all levels, particularly those without extensive background in Roman history. His narrative style is easy, free flowing, and anything but dry. . . . Highly recommended.”—Choice

“Fresh and readable.”—Henry S. Cohn, Federal Lawyer

“While classical scholars may have been arguing since the Renaissance about the true character and accomplishments of the Roman general and politician Gaius Julius Caesar, for the past four hundred years educated people around the world have drawn conclusions about him largely from the portrait created by William Shakespeare. . . . As Adrian Goldsworthy demonstrates admirably in Caesar: Life of a Colossus, the real Julius Caesar was a much more complex character. . . . Highly readable.”—Laurence W. Mazzeno, Magill’s Literary Annual

“Adrian Goldsworthy has produced the definitive modern biography of Julius Caesar. It is an absorbing book about a fascinating personality. . . . This is a great book. It is essentially a mini-history of Rome from 100 to 44 B.C. It reads well and will do nothing but enhance Adrian Goldsworthy’s already fine reputation.”—J. Boone Bartholomees, Jr., Parameters, US Army War College Quarterly

“Readers interested in Caesar and ancient Rome will enjoy Goldsworthy’s flowing narrative and thoughtful analysis.”—David Bonagura, Jr., University Bookman

“A fascinating account of the life and career of a remarkable man. . . . Goldsworthy is a sober and cautious biographer, but then, when one’s subject is Julius Caesar, one needs to be nothing more.”—John Phillips, Southern Humanities Review

Named one of the 100 noteworthy books of the year (2006) by the Kansas City Star

Named a Number 1 Editor’s Choice in Biography by Amazon.com in 2006

Named a Best Book of 2006 by Amazon.com

Chosen by the Association of American University Presses as an Outstanding Title for Public and Secondary School Libraries, 2007

Selected as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2007 by Choice Magazine

"Adrian Goldsworthy is one of the new generation of young classicists who combine scholarship with storytelling to bring the ancient world to life. In his masterly new Caesar, he shows us the greatest Roman as man, statesman, soldier, and lover."—Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar

“It gives me great pleasure to give Caesar the strongest possible recommendation. Caesar was a complex character living in confusing times, but Adrian Goldsworthy tackles the subject with a vigor, thoroughness and clarity of purpose that the great man himself would have approved of.”—Philip Sidnell, editor, Ancient and Medieval History Book Club (London)

“Adrian Goldsworthy is one of our most promising young military historians today.”—Sir John Keegan, author of The Iraq War

“Goldsworthy’s book will remain the definitive biography of Caesar for years to come.”—Philip Matyszak, author of The Sons of Caesar: Imperial Rome’s First Dynasty

“Adrian Goldsworthy is one of the new generation of young classicists who combine scholarship with storytelling to bring the ancient world to life. In his masterly new Caesar, he shows us the greatest Roman as man, statesman, soldier, and lover.”—Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar

From the Author

A conversation with Adrian Goldsworthy

Q: What is new about your book?
A: The overall approach is new. As far as possible I have tried to write this as if it were the biography of a twentieth-century statesman, looking in as much detail as possible at every aspect of his life. One of the biggest differences with Meierand also Gelzer, who wrote the most important biography of Caesar before Meieris that I have tried to cover each stage of his life in equal detail. Their focus was always on the politics. Yet Caesar spent a very large part of his life at warhe was on campaign for no less than thirteen of the last fifteen years of his life. We need to understand Caesar the soldier as much as Caesar the politician because the two were so closely intertwined.

Q: What are the parallels between Ancient Rome and our own times?
A: It would be wrong to claim exact parallels between Rome in the first century B.C. and the modern world, but there are undeniable lessons to be learnt from the turbulent history of these years. One of the most important is to show the fragility of political systems. Caesar lived in the last decades of the Roman Republic, a system which was already three centuries old at the time of his birth. But less than twenty years after his death, his adopted son Octavian had turned Rome into what was a monarchy in all but name. There is perhaps a lesson for modern democracies in the danger of allowing entrenched lobby groups, political parties, and other interests to stifle real debate.

Q: Where was Caesar headed at the time of his assassination?
A: Caesar was about to set out on a series of campaigns against the Dathians and Parcians, in what is modern Iraq.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0300126891
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yale University Press; Illustrated edition (January 28, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 583 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0274745755
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0274745753
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.25 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #50,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #15 in Ancient Rome Biographies
- #58 in Ancient Roman History (Books)
- #255 in Political Leader Biographies

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4.6 1,968 ratings

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Adrian Keith Goldsworthy

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Adrian Goldsworthy has a doctorate from Oxford University. His first book, THE ROMAN ARMY AT WAR was recognised by John Keegan as an exceptionally impressive work, original in treatment and impressive in style. He has gone on to write several other books, including THE FALL OF THE WEST, CAESAR, IN THE NAME OF ROME, CANNAE and ROMAN WARFARE, which have sold more than a quarter of a million copies and been translated into more than a dozen languages. A full-time author, he regularly contributes to TV documentaries on Roman themes.

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David Montgomery

Caesar: His Life and Times

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2007

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This is the second book by Adrian Goldsworthy that I've read and once again he does not disappoint. This is a substantial biography on one of the most established figures in history. Established in the sense that people have heard the name and for the connotations the name brings forth to different people, even if they (we) have not really studied that much about Caius Julius Caesar. Goldsworthy is an excellent historian on Roman history, particularly on the military and political aspects of that once powerful city and its empire.

I'm not going to recite Julius Caesar's life journey in detail, read the book for that. This is a very well-rounded and complete (as far as is probably possible) portrait of the man and the times he lived in, from his youth to his death at the hands of the conspirators in 44 BC. Regardless of what impressions you have or final judgements you make, and I agree with Goldsworthy's conclusion in that most people will probably have a mixed opinion, you can't deny his extraordinary abilities, especially in the military sphere. It was absolutely astonishing to read of the staggering casualties his army inflicted on all his various opponents from the Gallic War to the Civil War and the comparatively minor casualties his army incurred. However, these numbers, as the author mentioned, could easily be exaggerated. Caesar made mistakes, but boy did he win and win big, time after time.

But in addition to his famed military prowess, Caesar was a shrewd politician. What Goldsworthy likes to stress throughout this book is that Caesar, compared to other dictators and leaders was known for his clemency. Of course this could have all been purely for calculated political purposes, but nevertheless, those who opposed Caesar fared better than say those who opposed Sulla in the previous Civil War. This is a fair point, but does not skew the fact that he could be ruthless in times of war, but as Goldsworthy believes, even that ruthlessness was not necessarily for cruelty's sake. The author is certainly trying to put Caesar in a somewhat sympathetic or more favorable light than others might, but he also admirably places Caesar within the context of the times he lived in.

This biography isn't as purely focused on Caesar as some might assume it would be. Goldsworthy gives a fair amount of attention to Roman political life in this age as well, which is necessary. The turbulent times in Roman history that transpired throughout Julius Caesar's life, who some of the other players were, the changing dynamics of Roman society, and so forth are all incorporated into this fascinating and well written book. Whatever conclusions one may reach about Caesar or Roman life and its politics in general, you surely can't deny the impact this conspicuous Roman had and how that legacy continues to fascinate us today, though we are so far removed in time from that turbulent and dramatic age. There is much we don't learn in this book and most likely will never know, which is probably another reason why many people, including myself, are drawn to this period in history. A commendable book by an eminent historian and writer.

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Martin Williams

Comprehensive, Entertaining, and Accessible

Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2024

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Goldsworthy’s expertise shines through once more, this time illuminating Caius Julius Caesar, one of the grandest figures to have ever lived. But the biography, thankfully, does much to uncover Caesar’s legendary life without succumbing to the pitfalls of Cesarean myth; while we are often conditioned to view Caesar as a revolutionary, an idyllist with kingly aspirations since his youth, this work instead outlines the long and complex road to his playing a major part in the downfall of the Republic. Caesar can remain one of the colossi of history while we remember that he was as much a product of his times as they were of he, and no one stage in his life inevitably led to the next. Contemporary to him are many other Roman icons who we’d do well to view in contrast of him: Sulla as a Caesar only lacking his ambition; Cato as a very different approach to gaining auctoritas, Crassus as a shrewd politician with less fortune in war; Pompey as a military man lacking some of his political wit; etc. etc. When one reads of Caesar, they read of some of the most impressive men to have lived in Caesar’s time or any other. As an aside, it is usually my habit to take notes as I progress through a work of historical nonfiction; in this case it proved unneeded (though I stubbornly persisted, believing I’d gone too far to turn back) as this book is dense but clearly written and accessible in in its delivery of fact.

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Ron

Excellent information, but...

Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2023

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Very good information about Caesar's life and times. Doesn't bog you down in unimportant minutia but is quite inclusive. Where I had to deduct a point is in the editing. Time and time again sentences were run together without periods, causing one to have to decipher the meaning and lose the flow of the narrative. Other editing issues exist, but most are not as intrusive as the lack of periods.

4 people found this helpful

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David Hoffman

A Colossal Book

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2012

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There are, perhaps, only a handful of names from the ancient world that are still well known to this day. Among these, Gaius Julius Caesar must surely be one of the most familiar, even to those who don't know much about history. A strong case could be made that Caesar was the most influential secular figure in ancient times. The changes he made to the Roman state shaped the course of history and politics for the next two millennia. We still use the calendar he introduced in Rome, with only minor changes. His name is synonymous with king or ruler in many languages (Kaiser, Tsar, Czar, and possibly Shah). Caesar truly was a colossus among men.
Yet, in many ways, Caesar was an enigma. We know a lot about his policies and military campaigns from his own books and the writings of his contemporaries, yet his motives and ultimate designs remain a mystery. Did Caesar plan all along to overthrow the Roman Republic, or was he improvising, or was he an ambitious aristocrat in an age in which all the conventions were breaking down. Was he planning a major new campaign of conquest in the East when he was assassinated? Why did some of his supporters assassinate him? Did he intend to make himself King?
Adrian Goldsworthy attempts to answer these questions and more in his comprehensive biography of Julius Caesar, Caesar: Life of a Colossus. He begins by exploring the world of the late Republic in which Caesar was born. Even in his youth, there were signs that the Republic no longer worked as well as it did in centuries past. There were class struggles, military coups, and increasing lawlesssness and egregious lust for power among the ambitious Senatorial Class. As he grew up, Caesar learned to play the game of power as well as any of his peers, becoming a prominent young lawyer and politician. Then he embarked on his remarkable military career.
Goldsworthy notes that while he made some mistakes early in his conquest of Gaul, Caesar learned from them and soon became one of the greatest generals in ancient history. Although he was from the highest nobility, he developed a unique rapport with his men, who were willing to follow him anywhere. Caesar's most controversial decision was to cross the Rubicon into Italy with his army, thereby seizing power and provoking a civil war. Goldsworthy explores Caesar's motivations for this fateful decision and concludes that Caesar was more interested in preserving his safety and honor than in becoming dictator. Nevertheless, he did seize absolute power after he emerged victorious over his enemies.
Caesar could be ruthless at need but, according to Goldsworthy, he was not a cruel man, and whenever possible, he preferred to pardon former opponents and sought their support. This proved to be his undoing, since several of his assassins, including Brutus and Cassius, were just such former enemies.
Goldsworthy deals with each portion of Caesar's life in as much detail as possible. He tries to stick, as close to the known facts as possible, but any biography of a person who lived so long ago must necessarily include much that is speculation. He also takes the opportunity to correct popular misconceptions about life and war in ancient times, which Hollywood and popular entertainment has been all too apt to spread. Overall, Colossus is a solid and readable biography about a most remarkable man.

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Cliente de Amazon

Tremenda lección de historia.

Reviewed in Mexico on December 5, 2023

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Apenas llevo leída la parte del mundo en el que vivía Julio Cesar, y ya he aprendido mucho más de historia Romana que en toda mi vida escolar. Dicho sea de paso, lo que he leído es impresionante, y es que, siempre se habla de la caída de Roma, pero casi nunca de cómo se convirtieron en un estado tan impresionante, lo que he aprendido al respecto no tiene precio, ya desquitó lo que vale y con intereses. Tremenda inversión.

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Kevin Corkum

Excellent

Reviewed in Canada on July 4, 2021

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Detailed descriptions of the various important battles fought by Caesar was a strong point of this book and is well worth the read.

Gostei

Bom

Reviewed in Spain on February 19, 2024

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Gostei

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Michael S.

Well researched, enthralling biography

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2023

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Goldsworthy has this rare talent of writing a fascinating biography of Caesar and at the same time bringing the whole period to life. Excellent and enthralling.

swiss miss

Just wunderbar

Reviewed in Germany on March 15, 2023

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Full of details. Easy to read. A pageturner.

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