Julius Caesar: Lessons in Leadership from the Great Conqueror

World Generals Series

by Bill Yenne, Wesley K. Clark (Foreword)

No ancient ruler inspired more legends than Julius Caesar. Under his leadership, Rome conquered territory throughout Europe and the Mediterranean, reaching the North Sea and conducting the first Roman invasion of Great Britain. His tactical acumen and intuitive understanding of how armies work birthed a military structure that allowed Roman generals to expand the boundaries of the empire for generations, and his vision of a unified Europe inspired military leaders for hundreds of years. Yet, in addition to his commanding leadership of Roman troops, Caesar was also a gifted orator and skilled politician who successfully maneuvered within the most complex and well-established bureaucratic system in the world. In this fast-paced look at one of the greatest generals the world has ever seen, acclaimed author Bill Yenne charts the major events that shaped Caesar’s leadership, his rise to power, and his crashing fall.

Genres: History, Leadership, Biography

225 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 3, 2012

About the author

Bill Yenne is the author of several novels and over three dozen books on historical topics. He has also been a contributor to encyclopedias of both world wars.

The New Yorker wrote of Sitting Bull, his biography of the great Lakota leader, that it "excels as a study in leadership." This book was named to the number 14 spot among Amazon's 100 Best Books of the Year.

Library Journal observed that "enthusiastic World War II readers will be drawn to" his dual biography, Aces High: The Heroic Story of the Two Top Scoring American Aces of World War II.

Recently, his book Convair Deltas was named as Book of the Month by Air Classics, while his book Tommy Gun was named Pick of the Month by Shooting Illustrated.

His book Guinness: The 250 Year Quest for the Perfect Pint was listed among the top business books of the year by Cond Nast Portfolio Magazine, which rated Yenne's tome as its TOP pick for "Cocktail Conversation."

Yenne's Rising Sons: The Japanese American GIs Who Fought for the United States in World War II, was praised by Walter Boyne, former Director of the National Air & Space Museum, who called it "a fast moving... page turner," and the "best book yet written on the saga."

The Wall Street Journal wrote, when reviewing his Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West, that Yenne writes with "cinematic vividness," and says of his work that it "has the rare quality of being both an excellent reference work and a pleasure to read."

The author lives in San Francisco, California, and on the web at www.BillYenne.com

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Reviews

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've slowly been working through the History of Rome podcast and thought I would revisit the life of Julius Caesar. When I saw the cover of this book online, the words, Julius Caesar, jumped out and I placed the order without reading any reviews, but trusting that it would be a short biographical sketch. The order arrived in a few days and when I opened the package the subtitle, which was nearly invisible in the online JPG, sent shivers down my spine. I was hoping to read a short biography and it appeared that I was being tricked into purchasing a book on leadership. In my disappointment, I put the book on my shelf and ignored it for several months. However, curiosity finally prevailed and I opened its pages to discover a gem of a book.

This book is a great introductory biography of the life Julius Caesar and a military history of his campaigns all in one. The personal events that shaped the man and his world are explained throughout, but the majority of the text is devoted to Caesar's military career with detailed descriptions of campaigns and battles. Frankly, I haven't been an eager seeker of military history volumes, but I enjoyed Bill Yenne's work so much, I may have to broaden my horizons. He clearly described all of the action in Gaul, Egypt, Africa, and other theaters in manner that drew me in and made me desire more.

The book had a few line-art maps to guide the reader through descriptions of battles and the tribal mishmash of ancient Europe. I would have been thoroughly lost without them. As for the leadership aspect of the book - any lessons on leadership had to be extrapolated from the text; they are not enumerated for the reader.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Julius Caesar is a combination of Roman history, a biography of Julius Caesar, and his leadership tactics - both political and military. It is easy to read and informative and deserves to be on the shelf of anyone interested in leadership.

[Bonnie_blu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yenne not only analyzes Caesar's military career, but also compares specific battles to ones that occurred during different periods in history, from Alexander's conquests to the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was a truly fascinating book, and one that I couldn't put down. I'm rather knowledgeable about Caesar, but this book approached his military (and political) actions in a new way. It examined military theory and strategy rather than only giving simple descriptions of Caesar's battles (albeit the descriptions were excellent). I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in Caesar, ancient military history, or how ancient military theory and strategy compare to today's modern warfare.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many dates, not enough exposure into the psyche of the man!