Roma

By: Steven Saylor

Narrated by: John Lee

Spanning a thousand years, and following the shifting fortunes of two families through the ages, this is the epic saga of Rome, the city, and its people.

Weaving history, legend, and new archaeological discoveries into a spellbinding narrative, critically acclaimed novelist Steven Saylor gives new life to the drama of the city’s first thousand years——from the founding of the city by the ill-fated twins Romulus and Remus, through Rome’s astonishing ascent to become the capital of the most powerful empire in history. ROMA recounts the tragedy of the hero-traitor Coriolanus, the capture of the city by the Gauls, the invasion of Hannibal, the bitter political struggles of the patricians and plebeians, and the ultimate death of Rome’s Republic with the triumph, and assassination, of Julius Caesar.

Witnessing this history, and sometimes playing key roles, are the descendents of two of Rome’s first families, the Potitius and Pinarius clans: One is the confidant of Romulus. One is born a slave and tempts a Vestal virgin to break her vows. One becomes a mass murderer. And one becomes the heir of Julius Caesar. Linking the generations is a mysterious talisman as ancient as the city itself. Epic in every sense of the word, ROMA is a panoramic historical saga and Saylor’s finest achievement to date.©2007 Steven Saylor; (P)2007 Books on Tape

A Epic story spanning the ages.

I loved it. It begins with Roman myth and ends with rule of Augustus. You get the feel of being there and seeing all historical events take place. The story breaths life into history.
The reading was excellent.
I recommend it to all that love history.

John Lee makes every book better!

John Lee is just the best there is for historical fiction! I shall miss his voice as I continue the series.

Fabulous!!! So good I listened twice!

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

YES!! I completely recommend this to any of my friends who enjoy history.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved how all of Romes history could be tied in by following a heirloom. (It's just extra awesome it's a penis pendant.)

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

His voice is just perfect!

Who was the most memorable character of Roma and why?

Probably the Fascinus, even though it's not really a character. It's the penis with wings pendant that the family passes down from generation to generation.

Any additional comments?

While listening to this I felt as if I knew the Potitius & Pinarius families. Fabulously written!

Rome must have been more exciting than this.

Having recently enyoyed Ken Follett's "World Without End", I figured, "Let's see what living in ancient Rome was like."

I found some of Saylor's explanations for many myths, gods, and legends as originating from ignorance, over-interpretation, and sometimes, just plain chicanery most amusing. My problem with the book, and what has frankly stopped me part of the way through, is the writing. It is so simplistic that I felt I was reading a children's book -- or at least a young adult's book.

Mildly interesting but numbingly simplistic -- just not enough excitement in Roma.

Fascinating!

From beginning to end, I was intrigued by the story and the history of how it all started. If you enjoy the history of Rome , this book is for you.