A pleasure to read...

It's always a concern how many stars to give a treasured work of history. This book is of course a history, but also a piece of history and as necessary in the milieu of the great works of western literature as any other work from the period. As such, I give it 5 starts, and on it's own merit it was a very enjoyable read.

Beginning with Julius Caesar and ending with the reign of Domitian, Suetonius tells a tale that includes all the victories, works and scandals of each of the emperors in turn. There is some question as to the reliability of some of his sources, as experts have learned, but I think that this in no way diminishes the text. Like with any history, several sources should be considered and Suetonius should be the first with Tacitus next and whatever you can find to follow, as this is truly a fascinating period in Western history.

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Brilliant Narration, Great Insights

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Insight into the social and political order of the times, and insight into what shaped the psychology of these powerful yet flawed individuals. It's also a consistent reminder of how power corrupts.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Twelve Caesars?

Caligula and Nero are of course the most colorful and horrifying. Julius and Augustus are the only ones out of the 12 who seem to be essentially sane, within the context of their times. There is truly nothing new under the sun, and while technology and communications may evolve, the lessons for democracy are there for those who care to see them.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did

Any additional comments?

I cannot understand those who fault the narrator. Charlton Griffin has narrated an enormous number of classical works, and in my view is consistently brilliant. I have listened to literally hundreds of hours of his narration of various writings. His pacing, enunciation, and pronunciation of Greek, Latin, and other "foreign" languages is flawless. He is able to bring a sense of drama to what can be otherwise dull writing, and for me makes these ancient times and personalities come alive.

5 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Brilliant performance

Outstanding reading of a classic; thoroughly engaging. I found myself listening several times over to key parts. Highly recommended.

4 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Excellent

Well done. I only wish it was easier to navigate between chapters. Twelve biographies divided only into two sections makes jumping around difficult.

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Impossible to follow along

It’s nearly impossible to follow along. The book goes from chapter to chapter (Caesar to Caesar) without any clear understanding of which Caesar is being discussed. It might mention the Caesar once at the beginning of the chapter, but all references thereafter are “he”. You literally have no clue who is being referred. Unfortunately the chapter guide doesnt offer any help either because those are blank. Even googling the chapter your on to find the book chapter isn’t helpful, because the audiobook chapters don’t follow the book chapters.

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A very good listen

I really enjoyed this listen. I rarely listen to the same book twice but I will make an exception for this book!

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The narrator is so great. Like is reading from a

The narrator is so great. Like he is reading from a 1984 news paper: But, like the gossip column. such a good delivery...

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gripping

language of the writer, narrator will make Sutonious feel proud. more than gripping and solid

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Very worthwhile listen

Very interesting . Would benefit from a introduction of the author and the year and reign in which he lived. Also, by an assessment of author by recent historians.

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Just the gory details, please.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this audiobook to an ancient history or roman history buff.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I cannot say I had a favorite ceaser because I learned new or different facts/gossip about each. The author had a unique viewpoint of the 12 and it was interesting to compare, say, the history of Claudius to the work of Claudius translated by Robert Graves.

What about Charlton Griffin’s performance did you like?

His narration was adequate.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wanted to listen to this in parts rather than try to take it all in at one listen. Some stories were a little juicier than others and I wanted to listen to them more than once.

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