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The first man in Rome / Colleen McCullough.
"With astounding narrative power,Colleen Mccullough sweeps the reader into the whirlpool of pageantry, passion, splendor, chaos and earth-shattering upheaval that was ancient Rome. Here is the story of Marius, wealthy but lowborn, and Sulla, a patrician by birth--but penniless <U+2014> extraordinary men of vision whose ruthless ambition will lay the foundations of the most awesome and enduring enmpire known to humankind. A towering saga of great events and mortal frailties, it is peopled with a vast, and vivid cast of unforgettable men and women <U+2014> soldiers and senators, mistresses and wives, kings and commoners <U+2014> combined in a richly embroidered human tapestry to bring a remarkable era to bold and breathtaking life."--Publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780688093686
- ISBN: 068809368X
- ISBN: 0380710811 (pbk.)
- Physical Description: 896 p. : ill., maps ; 25 cm.
- Edition: 1st ed.
- Publisher: New York : Morrow, c1990.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | Maps on lining papers. |
| Target Audience Note: | Adult |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Marius, Gaius, ca. 157-86 B.C. > Fiction. Statesmen > Rome > Fiction. Rome > History > Republic, 265-30 B.C. > Fiction |
| Genre: | Historical fiction. |
Available copies
- 2 of 2 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Nakusp Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 2 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakusp Public Library | FIC MCC (Text) | 35160000383332 | Adult Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 1990 September #2
This big, complex novel detailing the beginnings of the downfall of the Roman Republic is a startling change of pace for McCullough ( The Thorn Birds, LJ 5/1/77). Gaius Marius, an upstart New Man from the Italian provinces, and Lucius Cornelius Sulla, a patrician Roman brought up in the slums of the Subura, are both ambitious enough to want to become First Man in Rome, despite their social handicaps. The author deftly weaves politics, family rivalries, and battle scenes into a riveting story replete with fascinating details of everyday Roman life. The research is obviously painstaking; the author includes a large glossary of more than 100 pages as well as a pronunciation key for the Roman names. Highly recommended. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/90. BOMC main selection.-- Marilyn Jordan, North Miami P.L., Fla. Copyright 1990 Cahners Business Information. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 1990 August #1
If nothing else, this hefty tome, the first of a projected series, proves that McCullough ( The Thornbirds ) can write a serious historical novel that edifies while it entertains. Evoking with impeccably researched, meticulous detail the political and social fabric of Rome in the last days of the Republic, McCullough demonstrates a thoroughgoing understanding of an age in which birth and blood lines determine one's fate, and the auctoritas and dignitas of the Roman family mean more than any personal relationship. When the narrative opens in 110 B.C., this rigidly stratified social order has begun to erode. The protagonist, Gaius Marius, is the symbol of that gradual change. He is the embodiment of the novel's title, a genuine New Man who transcends his Italian origins and earns the ultimate political accolade--the consulship--for an unprecedented six terms. A brilliant military leader, Marius defeats the invading barbarian German tribes. Wily, shrewd and pragmatic, Marius is not above using bribery and chicanery to achieve political ends. Nor, indeed, are his fellow officials, whose sophisticated machinations are in odd juxtaposition with their penchant for jeering at one another, which leads to fisticuffs, brawls and even assassinations. As usual, McCullough tells a good story, describing political intrigue, social infighting and bloody battles with authoritative skill, interpolating domestic drama and even a soupcon of romance. The glossary alone makes fascinating reading; in it, for example, McCullough reasons that Roman men did not wear ``under-drawers.'' The narrative's measured pace, however, is further slowed by the characters' cumbersome names, which require concentrated attention. Those willing to hunker down for a stretch of close reading will be rewarded with a memorable picture of an age with many aspects that share characteristics ontemporaneous with our own. Maps and illustrations by the author. 300,000 first printing; BOMC main selection; author tour. (Oct.). Copyright 1990 Cahners Business Information. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 1991 July #2
Gaius Marius, brilliant military leader and six-term Roman consul, heads the cast of a hefty historical novel replete with politics, social infighting, bloody battles and domestic drama. ``Evoking with impeccably researched, meticulous detail the political and social fabric of Rome in the last days of the Republic, McCullough demonstrates a thoroughgoing understanding of an age in which birth and blood lines determine one's fate,'' said PW . $200,000 ad/promo. (Aug.) Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information.
