Imperium . . . Conspirata . . . and now Dictator—the long-awaited final volume of Robert Harris’s magnificent Ancient Rome Trilogy At the age of forty-eight, Cicero—the greatest orator of his time—is in exile, separated from his wife and children, tormented by his sense of failure, his great power sacrificed on the altar of his principles. And yet, in the words of one of his most famous aphorisms, “While there is life, there is hope.” By promising to support Caesar—his political enemy—he is granted return to Rome. There, he fights his way back to prominence: first in the law courts, then in the Senate, and finally by the power of his pen, until at last, for one brief and glorious period, he is again the preeminent statesman in the city. Even so, no public figure, however brilliant and cunning, is completely safeguarded against the unscrupulous ambition and corruption of others. Riveting and tumultuous, Dictator encompasses some of the most epic events in ancient history—the collapse of the Roman Republic and the subsequent civil war, the murder of Pompey, the assassination of Julius Caesar. But the central problem it presents is a timeless one: how to keep political freedom unsullied by personal ambition, vested interests, and the erosive effects of ceaseless, senseless foreign wars. In Robert Harris’s indelible portrait, Cicero attempts to answer this question with both his thoughts and his deeds, becoming a hero—brilliant, flawed, frequently fearful yet ultimately brave—both for his own time and for ours.
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"The three books by Robert Harris, Imperium, Imperata and Dictator, should be read in the right sequence so that the reader can follow political and historical developments in the roman empire as Harris has masterfully reconstructed them in this book. This work is very interesting, thought provoking and frankly, as little disconcerting as it prompts the reader to critically consider our contemporary political developments. "
— sophia (5 out of 5 stars)
“Sinuous, clever, and compelling…A fitting end to a magnificent trilogy.”
— Metro (UK)“Confirms Harris’s undisputed place as our leading master of both the historical and contemporary thriller.”
— Daily Mail (London)“Harris has a delightful mastery of the political then-as-now, the self-righteous war-criminal (Caesar with a hint of Blair), the mad, veteran autocrat (Caesar with a hint of Thatcher).”
— Spectator (London)Be the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Robert Harris is the author of twelve novels, many of which have reached the New York Times bestseller list. Several of his books have been adapted to film, including The Ghost Writer. He has been a television correspondent with the BBC and a newspaper columnist for the London Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph. His novels have sold more than ten million copies and been translated into thirty languages.
David Rintoul, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a stage and television actor from Scotland. A former student of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, he has worked extensively with the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has also appeared regularly on BBC television, starring as Mr. Darcy in the 1980 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and as Doctor Finlay in the television series of the same name.