Please recommend Julius Caesar biography

[Trethiwr]

I think I need to read more about Julius Caesar.

More that is than I can get from wikipedia and other internet sources.

 

I am not an academic so nothing too weighty but at the same time not just a kids picture book.

 

Can anyone recommend the book that gives me detailed info, and good "bang for buck" I just did a search on Amazon and there are loads!!

I bet most of them duplicate the same stuff and some have less than I can get online. I need as much detail as possible from, at least, the death of his father in 85 onwards. So not just the Gallic Wars bit.

 

 

More info follows in case it helps make a better recommendation.

I have been writing a book now for over two years. (Actually I think I started it four years ago but I haven't been active all that time)

It is a novel set in real history in which the life of my main character is relentlessly intertwined with the life of Caesar.

 

I have to keep the historical facts correct. (I HATE fiction that tries to change recorded history)

The trouble is I was planning to focus on the conquest of Gaul and the almost conquest of Britannia but I realise that the first part of the story must focus on earlier events and I didn't do any of that in my school history. I'm at the last few chapters of the first book and I have somehow to engineer a close encounter of the third kind with the High Priest of Jupiter in 84 BC even if it is only fleeting.

 

One last thing is that whilst I am going to be very strict with recorded history I am going to play fast and loose with the laws of physics, and biology. There will be a certain amount of magic, and shape shifting, and one or two dragons involved.

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

Have you read Goldsworthy's biography of the man ? Or Caesar's own books ? Because both can be great starting point to learn to know the roman general, both by following in his steps and and by having the information put in a perspective by a man who did long researches about him.

[Trethiwr]

Is that "Caesar the life of a colossus" ?

I've seen that recommended elsewhere on UNRV.

 

Looks promising.

[jesuisavectoi]

I've heard good things about Always I Am Caesar by Jeffrey Tatum. It's supposed to by quite entertaining, so it shouldn't be too dry to read either.

[Macerinus]

Is that "Caesar the life of a colossus" ?

I've seen that recommended elsewhere on UNRV.

 

Looks promising.

 

Adrian Goldsworthy's "Ceasar: Life of a Colossus" is a very very good book on the subject.

And although there are a lot of pages it is a very readable and entertaining book.

 

I'd definitely recommend that one

[GhostOfClayton]

PM me, Threthiwr. I'll send you a DVD.

[Trethiwr]

I ordered a second hand copy of the Goldsworthy book on Amazon for

[DecimusCaesar]

I'd recommed Adrian Goldsworthy's book too, although its length (about 700 pages) might put you off.

 

A good short book about Julius Caesar is from the Command Series by Nic Fields. It's about 64 pages long and covers Caesar's military career. Despite its length and the fact it has illustrations, it isn't really what I'd call a kids book (it's geared towards adults), but it does give you a very short intro to Caesar's career as a general (but doesn't really cover his private or political life).

 

Another book you could try is Julius Caesar: Man, Soldier & Tyrant by the British General J.F.C Fuller. It's around 300 pages long and gives you a good overview of Caesar, especially on military matters considering Mr. Fuller was a general with battle experience from the First World War as a Tank commander. Some bits on logistics tend to be dry though, and the book is a good 45 years old, so keep that in mind.

[GhostOfClayton]

Have a look at this short Audio Book which can be downloaded from Amazon. Quite a good general overview.

[Ursus]

One last thing is that whilst I am going to be very strict with recorded history I am going to play fast and loose with the laws of physics, and biology. There will be a certain amount of magic, and shape shifting, and one or two dragons involved.

 

Goldsworthy's bio is long and very detailed. It was criticized for not offering a novel reassessment of Caesar, but the author himself stated that was not really what he was trying to do with his book.

 

Where his bio really shines is the military history side of it, a large chunk being devoted to the Gallic Wars. If your book focuses on the Galic Wars, then this is probably the bio for you.

 

However, Goldworthy offers no opinions on how Caesar would have handled a dragon.

[Trethiwr]

However, Goldworthy offers no opinions on how Caesar would have handled a dragon.

 

That's OK, he's never going to see any dragons directly.

The idea will be that magic will be done but in such a way that the Romans don't know for sure that it is real.

 

I mean the thing is if my character changes into a wolf and leaps across a chasm then changes back and throws a fireball at the legion then its going to get written down and become part of recorded history.

I can't do that so any fireballs will be directed at secondary targets which will cause seemingly natural effects and any dragons will fly at night in out of the way places so they don't get seen properly by anyone likely to write it down. At least not any reliable witnesses.