About this title: The subject of this renowned historical novel is the emperor Tiberius Claudius. Claudius has, essentially, seen it all between the years 44 B.C. and 54 A.D. Growing up in the house of Augustus, Claudius has a limp and a stammer, and is thought to be mentally deficient. In Graves's hands, Claudius's defects are precisely what enable him to survive the intrigue, murder, betrayal, and backstabbing of the members of the courts of Augustus, the vicious Tiberius, and the crazed and decadent Caligula. The novel was made into a BBC miniseries and broadcast to much acclaim in the U.S. as well. It was ...
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Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Vintage Books, New York
Date Published: 1989
ISBN-13:9780679724773ISBN:067972477X
Description: not a pretty book, covers shelf worn & damaged, water damage to upper edge of front cover, creased along spine, corners curled, use smudges along edges & corners of copy, pages yellowing due to age, good reading copy. Trade PB (US), glued binding, 468 pp. read more
Description: Good. 067972477X Earlier trade paperback same content exactly-Aside from newer introduction/afterward, original text has never changed, Standard Used Condition, different cover, No writing or Highlighting, some spine creases, age tan though holding together well, sold for content. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 1989-10-23
ISBN-13:9780679724773ISBN:067972477X
Description: Good. Binding is tight and square. Ex-library book with usual markings or attachments. Text is clean and bright. We recommend PRIORITY mail for even faster delivery! Careful packaging and fast shipping. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Vintage Books USA
Date Published: 1989
ISBN-13:9780679724773ISBN:067972477X
Description: New. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 468 p. Vintage International (Paperback). Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Vintage Books, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published: 1989
ISBN-13:9780679724773ISBN:067972477X
Description: Very Good. Tight spine, clean copy. Previous owner's inscription inside front cover. Illustrated wraps, edges lightly rubbed, small stain at top corner of last two pages. 468 Pgs. read more
Description: Very Good. 067972477X Mass Market Paperback, early printing, Condition: Very Good; this book is in very good condition with light curve to the spine / light reading creases to the covers. read more
"These two books, "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God" are probably two of the very best written and totally fascinating portraits of a frequently overlooked emperor of Imperial Rome. And Claudius WAS important. Assigned to the roll of idiot because of a stammer and lack of any physical grace, by playing up his infirmities, Claudius alone managed to survive all of his rivals to the throne of Emperor. Once there, he ruled Rome for a much longer time than most of his predecessors and descendants.
These are truly brilliant books - I don't know how many of you saw the BBC production of them, but it, too was magnificent. Derek Jacobi made his name on the stage because of his playing of Claudius. These are books that should be required reading in any history of Rome or any Latin classes."
""He lurched and limped when he walked, drooled when he slept, slob- bered when he ate; he was cruelly considered a complete idiot. Who comes to mind? Frankenstein, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Elephant Man, or the Phantom of the Opera? Unlikely as it seems, this man, referred to by his moth- er as a half-created being, was the most powerful man in Rome between 41 and 54 C.E. He is Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, otherwise known as uncle Claudius or, as English author Robert Graves called him, Clau-Clau- Claudius. The Roman emperor Claudius survived the tyranny of the insane Cal- igula and established an efficiently-run Empire stretching from Britain to Africa, from Spain to Palestine. He worked well with others and even had his share of military triumphs.
Remaining faithful to the ancient sources yet not boring us with extraneous details, Robert Graves wrote I, Claudius in 1934 when the cruelty of even the worst emperors was mirrored in Adolph Hitler amidst a Nazi barba- rism that threatened the boundaries of human decency. As I read I, Claudius and its sequel Claudius the God (1940) I am intrigued by the connection be- tween personal poverty and power. Claudius was never poor economically though Graves often refers to him as poor uncle Claudius. Knowing his own inner poverty, Claudius was patient, humble, humorous and wise. He may have looked like a fool but he was no fool. Claudius made his way through life clinging to a rather ambiguous message from a sarcastic oracle that he consulted as a young man. He didn't insist on intellectual surety but exercised faith nonetheless. Grave's Claudius did not strive for power or position but came by his emperorship almost by accident and with great reluctance.
I, Claudius is a lesson in leadership, a reminder not to judge by externals, a hilarious story and a classic of histori- cal fiction. If it catches your fancy you might want to move on to the match- less portrayal of Claudius by Derrick Jacobi in the 13-part BBC mini-series I, Claudius (1976). There are many Roman fictional novels and mystery follow-ups. My favourite authors include Stephen Saylor (Roma Sub Rosa series), John Maddox Roberts (SPQR series) and Colleen McCullough (Masters of Rome series).""
"Incredible book that draws you into the intrigue of Augustun era politics. I read it on the plane over to Rome. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars, is becuase I do not agree with the treatment of Livia. I don't believe she was nearly as evil (but still kind of evil) as many authors/historians, portray her as. Why would she kill her husband of over 40 years as he was already sick, to get her son in power, who had already been an heir for almost a decade. I see no logic in this, and I am bothered some authors and historians think that because of ONE stupid off-line from Suetonius, that he himself said was controversial, people still think this."
"As an exercise in collating evidence from multiple sources and writing a fictional narrative to explain them, I, Claudius is excellent. My knowledge of Roman history is quite poor, but from what I have read much of the book is either known to have happened or is at least plausible based on our records of the time. It also serves as the most thorough treatise I have seen on that old chestnut, "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." The text is mostly clear, but I must complain about the very large number of characters with similar names. People are mentioned at several points through the narrative with an expectation that you will recall what has previously been said about them and that you remember the distinction between Drusus and Drusilla, Urgulanilla and Urgulania, and so forth. Only the titular narrator is fully fleshed out, while most other characters we know only be their deeds deemed worthy enough of historical record. (Or in many cases, the deeds done to them.) I can imagine that I would have enjoyed this much more if I had been raised in an era that stressed knowledge of classical antiquity in education, but it was enjoyable even so."
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