The Death of Caesar

The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination

By: Barry Strauss

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

William Shakespeare's gripping play showed Caesar's assassination to be an amateur and idealistic affair. The real killing, however, was a carefully planned paramilitary operation, a generals' plot put together by Caesar's disaffected officers and designed with precision. Brutus and Cassius were indeed key players, but they had the help of a third man - Decimus. He was the mole in Caesar's entourage, one of Caesar's leading generals, and a lifelong friend. It was he, not Brutus, who truly betrayed Caesar.

Caesar's assassins saw him as a military dictator who wanted to be king. He threatened a permanent change in the Roman way of life and in the power of senators. The assassins rallied support among the common people, but they underestimated Caesar's soldiers, who flooded Rome. The assassins were vanquished; their beloved Republic became the Roman Empire.

©2015 Barry Strauss (P)2015 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Strauss takes us deep into the psyche of ancient history in an exciting, twisted tale that is sure to please." ( Kirkus)

Gasping for air

The narrator's mediocre vocal presence, often straining to complete his sentences on depleted air, makes not attempt to invest his listeners with the high dramatic values inherent in this history. Monotone drones on and on till, thank god, the drone is done. Pity.

Just . . . Great!

Great history lesson. If all history was so well written, history would be the most popular major in colleges across the land.

Excellent History, Brilliantly Told

This is an excellent book with detailed history regarding Caesar’s assassination on the floor of the Senate House. Much discussion is dedicated to the motivations of the killers, many of whom rode with Caesar during his crossing of the Rubicon. In particular, the discussion of Decimus Brutus (not the infamous Marcus Brutus) who was, by all rational accounts, the worst traitor of all, betraying his friend for cold ambition rather than any high-minded ideas over the dying republic. He has become the forgotten assassin, which is odd considering his pivotal role in the plot.

The book is also a remarkably quick read considering the wealth of information within. It’s never overly verbose; rather, it is eloquently told. The discussion of Caesar’s funeral is especially interesting and must have been quite a thing to see. Politics today is truly boring by comparison.

Another great one

I’ve read several Barry Strauss books. They never let me down. He makes the stories so compelling and interesting. This one is no exception. Details on the men who conspired to kill Caesar, their rational, their methods, and what happened after. Fantastic read.

Great book!

this is a great overview of the whole cesarean era and his rise and fall. I found the narrator's voice a bit too deep and would have to constantly turn my bass down in order to clearly hear him. I also found his storytelling a little uninspiring. but it's serviceable job, nonetheless.