The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt.Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnets, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Above all else, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator.Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world. She was married twice, each time to a brother. She waged a brutal civil war against the first when both were teenagers. She poisoned the second. Ultimately she dispensed with an ambitious sister as well; incest and assassination were family specialties. Cleopatra appears to have had sex with only two men. They happen, however, to have been Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, among the most prominent Romans of the day. Both were married to other women. Cleopatra had a child with Caesar and--after his murder--three more with his protégé. Already she was the wealthiest ruler in the Mediterranean; the relationship with Antony confirmed her status as the most influential woman of the age. The two would together attempt to forge a new empire, in an alliance that spelled their ends. Cleopatra has lodged herself in our imaginations ever since.Famous long before she was notorious, Cleopatra has gone down in history for all the wrong reasons. Shakespeare and Shaw put words in her mouth. Michelangelo, Tiepolo, and Elizabeth Taylor put a face to her name. Along the way, Cleopatra's supple personality and the drama of her circumstances have been lost. In a masterly return to the classical sources, Stacy Schiff here boldly separates fact from fiction to rescue the magnetic queen whose death ushered in a new world order. Rich in detail, epic in scope, Schiff 's is a luminous, deeply original reconstruction of a dazzling life.
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"This is less a biography of Cleopatra as it is a "biography" of her times. The book will disappoint those looking for the inside story of the lusty, notorious Queen of the Nile. But for those interested in Egypt and the glory that was hers, one need look no further. It was not quite what was expected, but it is a thoroughly satisfying read." — David (4 out of 5 stars)
"This is less a biography of Cleopatra as it is a "biography" of her times. The book will disappoint those looking for the inside story of the lusty, notorious Queen of the Nile. But for those interested in Egypt and the glory that was hers, one need look no further. It was not quite what was expected, but it is a thoroughly satisfying read."
“This is an astonishing, scrupulously researched, meticulously assembled retelling of one of the world’s most famous lives—and it will become a classic.”
“Schiff strips away the accretions of myth that have built up around the Egyptian queen and plucks off the imaginative embroiderings of Shakespeare, Shaw and Elizabeth Taylor…In doing so, she gives us a cinematic portrait of a historical figure far more complex and compelling than any fictional creation, and a panoramic picture of her world.”
“Schiff does a rare thing: She gives us a book we’d miss if it didn’t exist.”
“A masterpiece.”
“Successfully dissipating all the perfume, Schiff finds a remarkably complex woman—brutal and loving, dependent and independent, immensely strong but finally vulnerable.”
" Schiff brings to life the wonders of Alexandria -- making real for the reader a world so fabulous it is difficult to grasp how it could have existed two millennia ago. "
" Loved it, and learned about ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece. "
" A stunning biography of one of the world's most iconic, and unknown, women. Schiff helps sift through facts and fiction to craft an amazing life story. "
" Fascinating. I really enjoyed this book. I was impressed with how knowledgeable and poised Cleopatra was for such a young woman. My only complaint was the cover of the book which makes it look like some sort of historical romance novel. "
" A good biography of a quasi-mystical character. I loved her approach of comparing notes and establishing probable reasons-versions. In my mind, what a biography should be. "
" When will I LOVE a pulitzer prize winner? Hasn't happened yet...what does that say?! :) "
" I could not finish this book. I tried three times and gave up "
" Disappointing and in the end did not finish. i just couldn't seem to get into it at all. "
" Ugh... wish i could have given it 0 stars. There's no story, and it's as though she took all of her research notes and just typed them. And then the editor just sent it to the publisher that way. "
" Great history. It's fun to learn more about this time and place. "
" A mediocre history book with language problems, edited at all? "
" Great book! Loved it learned a lot. "
" Remarkable book about a woman misunderstood and maligned due to the bias of historians, according to the author. I didn't realize how much I didn't know about history, culture, and geography. "
" I sure wish I'd taken world history...everything was new to me. "
" The opening chapters were wonderfully written, but I was overall disappointed with this book and didn't really learn anything new. "
" If this were my history textbook, I would have been THRILLED. Excellent non-fiction, but less storytelling than I would have liked. Stacy Schiff does a great job of helping readers visualize the times that Cleopatra lived in. "
" The whole time I read this I felt like I was listening to a group of people talk about people I did not know and events that I had no interest in, nor could develop any interest in. The writing felt distant and that the author was looking at Cleopatra from the wrong end of the telescope. "
" wish this book was more detailed, Robert Massie has spoiled me. "
" Interesting historical details not just about Cleo but also about Julius Caesar. "
" Fun read. I felt her personality and the tensions of the times. Once again a woman must find ways to survive and prevail in treacherous times. "
" Thought it'd be more of a story, not so much a history textbook. "
" I only got part way through it before my audio book expired. Well written and it's nice to read re-re-written herstory! "
" Very interesting and highly readable! "
" Not sure if I can make it through. Pretty speculative. "
" A whole new side of the woman we know mostly through busts in an Egyptian museum and via Hollywood. A great history and beautifully told... "
" Hard to read and not very interesting. Too academic. "
Stacy Schiff is the acclaimed author of books that have won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, the George Washington Book Prize, the Ambassador Book Award, and the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography. Several of her books have made the New York Times bestsellers list. She has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, she was named a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres by the French Government and in 2011 was named a Library Lion by the New York Public Library,
Robin Miles, named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, has twice won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration, an Audie Award for directing, and many Earphones Awards. Her film and television acting credits include The Last Days of Disco, Primary Colors, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order, New York Undercover, National Geographic’s Tales from the Wild, All My Children, and One Life to Live. She regularly gives seminars to members of SAG and AFTRA actors’ unions, and in 2005 she started Narration Arts Workshop in New York City, offering audiobook recording classes and coaching. She holds a BA degree in theater studies from Yale University, an MFA in acting from the Yale School of Drama, and a certificate from the British American Drama Academy in England.
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