Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom HollandMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The accomplishment of this book is how Holland reveals simple, human stories in the endless convolutions of family rivalries, power struggles, alliances and betrayals that was the Roman Republic. In this book, you get a sense not just of what these famous names did, but a sense of who they were - their fears, pride, ego, bravery. The figures in this book are not immutable forces of history, and Holland illuminates how their very humanity and imperfections shaped the future of their civilization.
While the subjects are human, the lived experience of this era is difficult to imagine. Commanders rode directly into battle, staring death in the face. Men slaughtered each other in face to face combat, while the god of fear, Timor, always threatened to rule the battlefield. The stories of ancient warfare still inform, and often outshine, the most epic fantasy stories. (The gruesome end of Stephen Erikson's Deadhouse Gates is ripped directly from the Third Servile War in 73 BC. Strangely enough, I happened to read both stories within a week of each other.)
The bloodshed is relentless, and it never ceases. But even as something to dive into for short stints, the stories are incredible, poetic, and tragic.
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