Caesar Dies

Time-Lost

by Talbot Mundy

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Ebooks

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Talbot Mundy (born William Lancaster Gribbon) was an English-born American writer of adventure fiction. Based for most of his life in the United States, he also wrote under the pseudonym of Walter Galt. Best known as the author of King of the Khyber Rifles and the Jimgrim series, much of his work was published in pulp magazines.

Reviews

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

My experience with the Centaur Press Time-Lost series has been spotty: for every gem there is at least one that is deservedly obscure. _Caesar Dies_ succeeds where Dr. Cyclops fails, in that Mundy mercilessly scoops out the boring stuff. Time passes between scenes of dialog and intervening events are carefully threaded into the conversation. Mundy is in as big a hurry as the reader to get to the good stuff.

The back cover copy asserts that the emperor Commodus is the most memorable character, though the truth of it is that he is more a force of nature that all the other characters orbit and tentatively interact with. He is too basic a being to participate in the scheming and it is left to those in his orbit to be conflicted, principled, and weak-willed. There is nothing noble about this conspiracy, as aptly observed late in the game.

[Kaj Samuelsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What triggered me to read this book was an e-mail from a friend with the words Alea iacta est. And I thought why not read something about Julius Caesar, (who I thought was the subject of this book, though it was not). This time period is not something I am very familiar with, but I like the author and I do know something about the era, so I thought it would be an interesting read. And I was correct there, but the beginning of the book was a bit abrupt, as if I already was familiar with the persons in the plot, which I assure you I was not. However, as the story unfolded it became more and more interesting, and here I also observed the very thing that I like about this author, he can describe the era, the people, the living conditions so that you can feel it and he gives a taste of how it would be to be there at that time. I was also fascinated about his depiction of Galen, who I have heard of but knew very little about. If his depiction was true, then Galen was a very interesting character, not just the number 1 physician at that time and for ages to come.
A very interesting read, and I recommend it to anyone interested in the era of the Roman Empire.

[Bish Denham · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's not to like about Talbot Mundy? I have yet to read a book by him that I didn't enjoy. Caesar Dies is no different. Having it on my Kindle made it easy for me to check names and places. It appears to be an historical novel. Many of the characters were real people, and Mundy's knowledge of places the ancient world is astonishing. If nothing else, Caesar Dies gives one a glimpse into Roman plotting and sub-plotting, espionage and counter-espionage.

It's also a great romp through the palaces and baths.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this, from the first line "Golden Antioch lay like a jewel at a mountain's throat". Mundy evokes the setting, the chaos of the city, the atmosphere under tyranny. Then motives, plot, action, intrigue, moral wranging, conclusion.

I don't know much about Ancient Rome so can't judge its consistency with known history.

First published as The Falling Star in Adventure magazine, October 23, 1926 . There would have been an introduction from Mundy on the letters page (and reader correspondence for weeks to follow). It's a shame this is missing from modern editions (certainly the free ebook I read).

[Garick Cooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Caesar of the title refers to Commodus, not Julius Caesar. This is an historical novel, and Mundy sticks pretty closely to the facts. As usual, he excels at evoking time and place, and in painting word portraits of larger-than-life characters. But he can't seem to decide on who he wants to carry the story, jumping from viewpoint to viewpoint with each chapter, so this is more like a series of vignettes than a novel. The ending, with one major character sidelined and another apparently paralyzed with indecision, feels anticlimactic. (Mundy was constrained by the facts; that is, apparently, what actually happened.) Nevertheless, an engaging read which I finished in two successive nights.

[Yibbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very dark tale of intrigue, backstabbing, greed, ambition, hate, & madness set in ancient Rome. There really was no redeeming quality to this book. To much time spent on the depravity of the culture. At the end of the book, all of the characters all learn that they are completely self-serving even to the point of murder. I wouldn't recommend anyone read it.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not particularly impressive.