Best New Reading of 2004 : Rubicon
Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic, to give it the full title, is an overview of the Roman Republic from it’s beginnings, when it was little more that the city of Rome, to the time of Augustus Caesar, when the Republic was well and truly killed off. Tom Holland does a magnificent job of dealing with the various upheavals, wars, political machinations and personalities without getting bogged down in the minutiae of every event.
The book deals with the Republic’s history in a chronological manner starting with the kings of Rome and continuing through the glory days of the Republic and onto the dark days of civil war and collapse. The intricacies of the Roman political system are dealt with well and the manoeuvring for power within it are clearly and interestingly explained. The events don’t feel like they’re two thousand years old, they feel like they’re taking place now.
The prolonged collapse of the Republic is probably the most interesting part of the book as the more familiar names come to the fore; Caesar, Brutus, Sulla, Crassus, Cicero, Spartacus, Cleopatra, Pompey and Augustus amongst them. The slide from Republic to Empire is clearly demonstrated and it is shown how each step was allowed to happen, and why. The various turning points are well explained, showing why particular events turned out the way they did.
Overall the book is excellent, covering a lot of history without getting distracted and without skipping over important events.