Augustus
by John Williams · first published 1972
4mentions
3recommended by
4HN commenters
2020–2022first – last mentioned
75% recommend25% neutral
A compelling fictional portrait of Augustus Caesar follows the ancient Roman leader from his youth to his rise to power following the murder of his uncle, Julius Caesar, in the midst of fierce competition, intrigue, and political machinations, in a new edition of the National Book Award-winning novel.
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Augustus: A Novel, by John Edward Williams
on “Ask HN: What was the best book you read in 2021?” ↗…borders of the empire. To be Roman, and citizenry became quite broadly spread, during those few centuries, was to be free and safe. Fiction can often capture this truth better than any scholarship. In "Augustus", a portrait of the first roman Emperor, the author John Williams conjures a scene where Augustus, near the end of his life, contemplates his successes and failures on the deck of his cruise-ship. An…
on “No Barbarians Necessary” ↗Have a look at John Williams's Augustus for another view.
on “Beyond Mantel: Historical novels” ↗…and one is no more the occasion for pride or shame than the other; and he is neither the hero who proves himself against those forces, nor the protagonist who is destroyed by them. - John Williams in Augustus
on “I thought I’d have accomplished a lot more today and also before I was 35 (2020)” ↗