Caesar: Life of a Colossus

Book Review: "Caesar: Life of a Colossus" by Adrian GoldsworthyAdrian Goldsworthy’s Caesar: Life of a Colossus is an extraordinary biography that meticulously traces the life and career of one of history’s most iconic figures, Julius Caesar. This comprehensive work deserves a five-star rating for its ability to provide a detailed and coherent understanding of Caesar's movements and actions, year by year, against the backdrop of his illustrious career.Goldsworthy’s narrative begins with Caesar’s birth in Rome in 100 BC and takes us through his early life, including his flight from Rome during Sulla’s proscriptions and his service in Asia Minor. As Caesar climbed the political ladder, Goldsworthy meticulously documented his roles as quaestor in Spain, aedile, Pontifex Maximus, praetor, and governor of Further Spain. Each step is backed by ancient sources and modern scholarship, providing a well-rounded view of Caesar’s formative years.The biography excels in its detailed recounting of the Gallic Wars (58-50 BC), where Caesar’s military genius and political acumen are vividly brought to life. Goldsworthy’s use of ancient historians like Suetonius, Plutarch, Appian, and Dio Cassius is masterful, as he cross-references their accounts to paint a comprehensive picture of Caesar’s campaigns. The descriptions of his invasions of Britain, the suppression of the Gallic revolt, and the continued campaigns to secure Gaul are rich in detail, providing a clear understanding of the complexity and scale of these military endeavors.Goldsworthy’s portrayal of the Civil War (49-45 BC) and Caesar’s subsequent dictatorship is equally compelling. Every event is meticulously documented, from the dramatic crossing of the Rubicon to the decisive battles at Pharsalus, Thapsus, and Munda. Goldsworthy’s narrative ensures readers can follow Caesar’s movements and strategies with clarity, supported by evidence from inscriptions, coinage, and archaeological findings.The book does not shy away from discussing the biases and limitations of ancient sources, highlighting the political and philosophical influences that shaped their accounts. Goldsworthy’s critical examination of these sources and modern archaeological interpretations provide a balanced and nuanced view of Caesar’s life.What makes Caesar: Life of a Colossus exceptional is its ability to synthesize historical and archaeological evidence into a coherent and engaging narrative. Goldsworthy’s scholarship allows us to understand Julius Caesar as a historical figure and a dynamic and multifaceted leader whose actions and decisions shaped the course of history. This comprehensive understanding of Caesar’s life and career is why I give this biography a five-star rating.For anyone interested in Julius Caesar's life, the politics of the late Roman Republic, or military history. Goldsworthy’s biography is an indispensable resource. It is a work that both enlightens and captivates, providing readers with a profound understanding of one of history’s greatest colossi.

Well written, concise, And condensed in a way to understand a lot In a reasonable time. 5 stars for sure go to the author and this excellent book!

This is a good book, though it lacks a little organization. It's linear and accumulative. The story is not that well broken down into smaller issues like different size pieces of a puzzle, rather it's more like an accumulation of identical logs or bricks that amount to the thick book we have here. Facts and dates just follow each other in sequence. The truth is the author has enough talent to not get too messy, though at times it is monotonous. A clearer structure and less blurry lines between issues, dates and locations could have helped. If you want to go back and find the exact page where a certain issue is dealt with, it is going to be hard.Looks like a lot of cons but overall the book is readable thanks to its almost popular style, modern students friendly.A note that meant a lot to me as a Spaniard, and that I can't help mentioning: "In 92 BC an edict closed down schools teaching rhetoric Latin, stating that instruction in Greek was superior, even for teaching a man to make speeches in Latin (...) this measure was in part intended to prevent the oratorical skills useful in public life from becoming too common, for such schools were not likely to have taken pupils from those families outside the Senate (...) so this continued the emphasis on what would be useful rather than on acquiring purely academic learning." This reminded me of the banning of the Spanish language in schools in Cataluña (Spain) for the partisan interests of the entrenched nazionalist class; a class that lives on well-paid government jobs and subsidies and is throwing overboard a whole cultural legacy that belongs to a larger community than their own clan.A whole lot we still have to learn from history (and from books like this one), from Roman history specifically. Treat yourself and take sides between Cato and Caesar. But try to understand the other side too.