Dynasty The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar [Paperback]

In this dazzling portrait of Rome’s first imperial dynasty, Tom Holland traces the astonishing century-long story of the rise and fall of the Julio-Claudians—Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. Capturing both the brilliant allure of their rule and the blood-steeped shadows cast by their crimes,Dynastytravels from the great capital rebuilt in marble to the dank and barbarian forests of Germany.  Populated by a spectacular cast: murderers and metrosexuals, adulterers and Druids, scheming grandmothers and reluctant gladiators, it vividly recreates the world of Rome after Julius Caesar. A tale of rule and ruination,Dynastyis the story of a family that transformed and stupefied the western world and that continues to cast a mesmerizing spell across the millennia.“Startlingly visceral.... Holland has crafted a history of early Rome that has all the gripping detail and narrative momentum of a novel.” —The New York Times
 
“Holland is a master of narrative history. On the strength ofDynasty,he deserves a laurel wreath.” —The Washington Post

“Dynasty surely secures [Holland’s] place among the foremost writers of popular history practicing today.... His ability to operate at small and large scale simultaneously . . . is one of his great talents.” —The Wall Street Journal
 
“Fascinating.... [Dynasty] has Holland’s usual novelistic ability to bring a narrative alive, together with his extraordinary command of ancient sources.” —Matt Ridley,The New York Times Book Review

“[A] rollicking account of the Julio-Claudians.... A meditation on the enduring power and possibilities of storytelling.” —Financial Times
 
“Excellent.... Engrossing.... [Holland] is a witty and skillful storyteller, capable of penning penetrating psychollSà