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Agrippa
Not yet published
Expected 2 Nov 26Die grandiose Fortführung der Bestseller-Trilogie um Gibt es im Spiel der Macht wahre Freundschaft?
Julius Caesar ist tot, und das Leben zweier Jungen ändert sich grundlegend. Der eine ist Caesars 17-jähriger Neffe Octavian, den er zu seinem Erben erkoren hat; der andere dessen engster Freund Agrippa.
Damit Octavian das Erbe antreten kann, kämpfen sie gegen die Intrigen der Mächtigen im Römischen Reich an – und gegen alle Widrigkeiten sind sie siegreich. Octavian wird zu Kaiser Augustus. Zwanzig Jahre lang regieren sie gemeinsam die Welt.
Jetzt ist Agrippa fünfzig. Krank und allein, betrogen von seiner Frau, schreibt er zurückgezogen seine Memoiren. Aber die Vergangenheit aufzuwühlen ist tückisch. Von seiner Begegnung mit Julius Cäsar über den epischen Konflikt mit Marcus Antonius und Kleopatra, große Schlachten und endlose Kriege beschreibt er, wie ein Mann sein Leben dominiert der gerissene, skrupellose, undurchschaubare Octavian.
Ungekürzte Lesung mit Frank Arnold
ca. 10 h 50 min
Julius Caesar ist tot, und das Leben zweier Jungen ändert sich grundlegend. Der eine ist Caesars 17-jähriger Neffe Octavian, den er zu seinem Erben erkoren hat; der andere dessen engster Freund Agrippa.
Damit Octavian das Erbe antreten kann, kämpfen sie gegen die Intrigen der Mächtigen im Römischen Reich an – und gegen alle Widrigkeiten sind sie siegreich. Octavian wird zu Kaiser Augustus. Zwanzig Jahre lang regieren sie gemeinsam die Welt.
Jetzt ist Agrippa fünfzig. Krank und allein, betrogen von seiner Frau, schreibt er zurückgezogen seine Memoiren. Aber die Vergangenheit aufzuwühlen ist tückisch. Von seiner Begegnung mit Julius Cäsar über den epischen Konflikt mit Marcus Antonius und Kleopatra, große Schlachten und endlose Kriege beschreibt er, wie ein Mann sein Leben dominiert der gerissene, skrupellose, undurchschaubare Octavian.
Ungekürzte Lesung mit Frank Arnold
ca. 10 h 50 min
Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2026
About the author
Robert Harris
62 books9,455 followersROBERT HARRIS is the author of nine best-selling novels: Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel, Pompeii, Imperium, The Ghost Writer, Conspirata, The Fear Index, and An Officer and a Spy. Several of his books have been adapted to film, most recently The Ghost Writer, directed by Roman Polanski. His work has been translated into thirty-seven languages. He lives in the village of Kintbury, England, with his wife, Gill Hornby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
March 19, 2026
The best Robert Harris that I have read to date. A fascinating insight into this period of history, the politics that came with it and the power they all sought. Excellent!
September 12, 2026
Outstanding. This is nearly the opposite side of the coin for John William's Augustus. Both to me, are masterpieces.
Disingenuous Octavius, forceful Agrippa. Power? What type and how. Fabulous study of how power is initiated, grows, sustains. Not always what IS, but what seems to be.
The reviews for this one? BORING and FLAT. And not enough mean girls? I'll never get it. So many battles and the planning of the aqueduct products alone! Just not interesting? OMG.
Williams' book ALMOST made me understand Antony's motivations. Almost. This one nailed them.
Julia, I will never, ever understand. Choices?
But letting us see Augustus from Agrippa's eyes also embedded the essence of his nature even more than from the vanquished or the dominated. What a life!
Harris has all the acclaim for Concave and its very fiction laden track- some of which never could occur in reality. This one is better, as it encompassed the true core onus beyond just the physical man. Not only of Agrippa either.
"These days you cannot be one and not the other. Politics is warfare in civilian clothes."
Disingenuous Octavius, forceful Agrippa. Power? What type and how. Fabulous study of how power is initiated, grows, sustains. Not always what IS, but what seems to be.
The reviews for this one? BORING and FLAT. And not enough mean girls? I'll never get it. So many battles and the planning of the aqueduct products alone! Just not interesting? OMG.
Williams' book ALMOST made me understand Antony's motivations. Almost. This one nailed them.
Julia, I will never, ever understand. Choices?
But letting us see Augustus from Agrippa's eyes also embedded the essence of his nature even more than from the vanquished or the dominated. What a life!
Harris has all the acclaim for Concave and its very fiction laden track- some of which never could occur in reality. This one is better, as it encompassed the true core onus beyond just the physical man. Not only of Agrippa either.
"These days you cannot be one and not the other. Politics is warfare in civilian clothes."
September 11, 2026
Should have been a sure fire hit, a favourite author returning to a favourite historical period, but I found it oddly uninvolving. By covering the entire period of Agrippa's life, the book is trying to do too much and vast swathes of consequential battles, intrigue, births, marriages are glossed over in too little detail, while it's populated by too many characters. Years can pass by in a couple of sentences. Perhaps it would have been better by concentrating on a few specific years. And although titles Agrippa and told from his point of view, much of the story is actually a history of Augustus Octavious. It doesn't ever feel like we get under the skin of the title character. Trying to stick to historical accuracy seems to diminish the drama. Not a bad book, but it could have been much better.
September 2, 2026
Civil war, political intrigue, arranged marriages and deceit. Welcome to ancient Rome. Robert Harris creates a fictional memoir by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and, as usual, brings a wealth of historical characters to life with consummate ease.
I wish that history lessons had been this much fun when I was at school. Yet another entertaining novel from Robert Harris. In fact....it's a gripper!!
I wish that history lessons had been this much fun when I was at school. Yet another entertaining novel from Robert Harris. In fact....it's a gripper!!
July 22, 2026
I loved reading Conclave and really looked forward to reading the ARC for Agrippa but was sorely disappointed. I found it dull and flat.
Written as memoir, it was like reading someone’s diary of the weather and food log but in the form of lists of battles fought and marriages arranged. What it lacks in dimension it makes up for in name dropping…exhaustively.
Unless you are fascinated with the time period, I’d skip this title. There’s nothing in it for the average reader. (May appeal to a male audience, though.)
Written as memoir, it was like reading someone’s diary of the weather and food log but in the form of lists of battles fought and marriages arranged. What it lacks in dimension it makes up for in name dropping…exhaustively.
Unless you are fascinated with the time period, I’d skip this title. There’s nothing in it for the average reader. (May appeal to a male audience, though.)
September 4, 2026
I’m not going to lie– the disappointment is pretty crushing.
Although I find it historically implausible, and the book and Harris’ insistence that Augustus made any wide-reaching attempt to erase and minimize Agrippa even less so, I actually did enjoy the inner conflict and resentment given to Agrippa here, especially the mausoleum scene and the last chapter. I also liked the portrayal of his building projects as stemming from a desire to leave behind a legacy other than destruction. However, the times where Harris gives the reader access to Agrippa’s psyche are frustratingly rare– the book is written in distant and generally emotionless prose, and Agrippa spends more time narrating events, while sometimes giving his arguably anachronistic thoughts about power and politics and stating his matter of fact opinions on what is happening at the time, than baring his soul in a memoir that he himself believes will never see the light of day, and therefore has little reason to hold back. Even the twist about his origins has little effect on either him or the plot, beyond the fact that he thinks about it every so often.
I believe that this is half a consequence of squeezing nearly 40 eventful years into a not very long book and half an attempt to be immersive and follow in the footsteps of event and achievement focused ancient biographies (which may also be the reasoning behind all the dialogue being rendered in em-dashes; unlike Tiro, Agrippa wasn’t a scribe with a great memory who wrote most of the conversations down), but given that Harris still departs from ancient conventions in both structure and language (Agrippa quoting the “old saying” of “if you strike at the king, you must be sure not to miss” was the worst instance, although Augustus giving a “sermon” about immorality also made me wince) I’m not sure why the needs of the modern novelist shouldn’t have won out. Not helping my sense of immersion were several small but noticeable errors that slipped the editor’s mind– Harris simplifies the distinction between plebeians and patricians/senatorial families, is seemingly unaware that the cognomen “Agrippa” was not invented for his protagonist, calls Gaius Matius “C.Calvena Matius”, mixes up the birth order of Antony and Cleopatra’s children before later correcting himself, and incorrectly states that fifteen years passed between Carrhae and Munda.
Not helping the book is the fact that it lacks the caricatured yet entertaining secondary cast of the Cicero trilogy; again, this is probably because there simply isn't enough time to develop any of them. A notable exception is Fulvia, whose page time is brief and yet steals every scene she’s in, making me wish that Harris had written a book about her instead. Cicero is fairly entertaining in his few scenes as well, and it was interesting to see a less positive opinion on him, especially since it’s implied in some places that this book takes place in the same “universe” as the Cicero trilogy. Harris does something similar with Caesar, showing a softer side to him while still having some traits of his diabolical self (as well as his raspy voice) from the Cicero trilogy, and while this makes sense in the context of the book, I must admit that I preferred his older incarnation. I am less sure of how to feel about Harris’ Augustus, who, despite a handful of humanizing moments, is cold, power-hungry, and insensitive towards Agrippa pretty much from the start, with some of his rumored misdeeds (such as killing Pansa) being depicted as fact. While he definitely emerges as the kind of person who could push his best friend to the brink, and there are some fun scenes with him (like one where he laments how Cicero didn’t live longer despite having consented to his death), it made me wonder what exactly Agrippa saw in him at all, beyond the chance for career advancement and Caesar’s apparently hypnotic request for him to protect him. The writing style certainly didn’t help in this regard, as it made it kind of ambiguous as to whether there was any great love between them even at the start of their friendship, which this novel shows coming about unintentionally.
Ultimately, this is a novel with some interesting takes on its period and a compelling conceit at its core, but that unfortunately does not allow itself any time to breathe. Readers finding out about Agrippa from this book should be aware that his life and world weren’t nearly as dull as they are here.
Although I find it historically implausible, and the book and Harris’ insistence that Augustus made any wide-reaching attempt to erase and minimize Agrippa even less so, I actually did enjoy the inner conflict and resentment given to Agrippa here, especially the mausoleum scene and the last chapter. I also liked the portrayal of his building projects as stemming from a desire to leave behind a legacy other than destruction. However, the times where Harris gives the reader access to Agrippa’s psyche are frustratingly rare– the book is written in distant and generally emotionless prose, and Agrippa spends more time narrating events, while sometimes giving his arguably anachronistic thoughts about power and politics and stating his matter of fact opinions on what is happening at the time, than baring his soul in a memoir that he himself believes will never see the light of day, and therefore has little reason to hold back. Even the twist about his origins has little effect on either him or the plot, beyond the fact that he thinks about it every so often.
I believe that this is half a consequence of squeezing nearly 40 eventful years into a not very long book and half an attempt to be immersive and follow in the footsteps of event and achievement focused ancient biographies (which may also be the reasoning behind all the dialogue being rendered in em-dashes; unlike Tiro, Agrippa wasn’t a scribe with a great memory who wrote most of the conversations down), but given that Harris still departs from ancient conventions in both structure and language (Agrippa quoting the “old saying” of “if you strike at the king, you must be sure not to miss” was the worst instance, although Augustus giving a “sermon” about immorality also made me wince) I’m not sure why the needs of the modern novelist shouldn’t have won out. Not helping my sense of immersion were several small but noticeable errors that slipped the editor’s mind– Harris simplifies the distinction between plebeians and patricians/senatorial families, is seemingly unaware that the cognomen “Agrippa” was not invented for his protagonist, calls Gaius Matius “C.Calvena Matius”, mixes up the birth order of Antony and Cleopatra’s children before later correcting himself, and incorrectly states that fifteen years passed between Carrhae and Munda.
Not helping the book is the fact that it lacks the caricatured yet entertaining secondary cast of the Cicero trilogy; again, this is probably because there simply isn't enough time to develop any of them. A notable exception is Fulvia, whose page time is brief and yet steals every scene she’s in, making me wish that Harris had written a book about her instead. Cicero is fairly entertaining in his few scenes as well, and it was interesting to see a less positive opinion on him, especially since it’s implied in some places that this book takes place in the same “universe” as the Cicero trilogy. Harris does something similar with Caesar, showing a softer side to him while still having some traits of his diabolical self (as well as his raspy voice) from the Cicero trilogy, and while this makes sense in the context of the book, I must admit that I preferred his older incarnation. I am less sure of how to feel about Harris’ Augustus, who, despite a handful of humanizing moments, is cold, power-hungry, and insensitive towards Agrippa pretty much from the start, with some of his rumored misdeeds (such as killing Pansa) being depicted as fact. While he definitely emerges as the kind of person who could push his best friend to the brink, and there are some fun scenes with him (like one where he laments how Cicero didn’t live longer despite having consented to his death), it made me wonder what exactly Agrippa saw in him at all, beyond the chance for career advancement and Caesar’s apparently hypnotic request for him to protect him. The writing style certainly didn’t help in this regard, as it made it kind of ambiguous as to whether there was any great love between them even at the start of their friendship, which this novel shows coming about unintentionally.
Ultimately, this is a novel with some interesting takes on its period and a compelling conceit at its core, but that unfortunately does not allow itself any time to breathe. Readers finding out about Agrippa from this book should be aware that his life and world weren’t nearly as dull as they are here.
September 9, 2026
History teaches us to be wary of what‑ifs and of all manner of gratuitous speculation made with the privilege of hindsight. Yet we can fairly assume that there would have been no Emperor Augustus without one of his most faithful lieutenants, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.
In his latest instalment of historical fiction, Robert Harris sets himself the task of telling Agrippa’s story. He is fully aware of the scale of the undertaking: there is so much to say, and only so many pages in which to say it. The job is well done: the novel goes like clockwork when it comes to tracing the chain of events and disentangling such a flurry of facts.
Yet the exercise has its limits. When he wrote about Cicero, Harris rightly gave himself the space of a trilogy to paint a convincing portrait of a complex historical character. Agrippa may not be as intricate as Cicero, but he too lived at a time when events unfolded with dizzying speed, and I am not entirely sure this book will appeal to a reader who does not already have a fair idea of what he is getting into. At the beginning of chapter VIII, for instance, Lepidus, Brutus and Cassius turn up out of the blue — no introduction, no explanation — as if Harris takes it for granted that the reader is already well acquainted with them.
Some passages are therefore wanting in narrative scaffolding, but the overall impression remains good. And Harris’s witticisms are delightful, such as: “All was peace, the perfect conditions for war.”
Still, some may wonder whether it wouldn’t be faster — and cheaper — simply to log in to Wikipedia. This is the book’s main shortcoming: a crying lack of epic breath. Harris writes his Agrippa like a meticulous forensic chronicler, all cold facts and no affect. I admire him for being a thoughtful researcher and a stickler for historical accuracy (despite a few mistakes now and then — see my list below), but I would have liked to be reminded that historical figures were human beings above all. What is the point of historical fiction if it fails in this regard?
But I want to go easy on it, because all things considered, this book "prolongs the glorious life of Rome".
Edit.
Page 6. No weeks in the Roman calendar, only days and months.
Page 16. Cesar was appointed dictator before, not after, Pharsalus.
Page 26: "Cesar seizing a demonstrator with his own hands and ordering his execution"? That is pure fiction.
Page 32: Even in the midst of civil war, Roman citizens remained Roman citizens, and as such they couldn't be crucified. That was a punishment meted out only to slaves and foreigners when lawfully condemned to death.
Page 33: "Retrieving the fallen javelins". The spike of the pilum, the famous Roman javelin, was designed in such a way that once stuck into its target, it could not be taken off without breaking in two, so that the enemy could not return it to sender.
Page 34: This wall of dead bodies put up around the besieged city of Munda is another figment of the novelist's imagination.
Page 44 and page 95: The Senate declared Cesar Divus Iulius in 42BC, two years after his assassination.
Page 59: Antony's ambition couldn't be to become the next dictator for the very simple reason that after Cesar's death, Antony himself tabled a motion, which was adopted without difficulty, to abolish the office of dictator.
Page 60: Pater Patriae, Father of the Nation, was a title bestowed by the Senate upon Cicero to thank him for squashing the Catilina conspiracy.
Page 73: Quintilis became July while Cesar was still alive.
Page 78: Antony resorted to decimation in order to deal with troublemakers within his legions plagued with subversive Octavian's agents.
Page 80: Convening the Senate in the dead of night was totally illegal and impious. No night session could ever be held, as Antony only knew too well. This was one of his many bold moves to rattle the senators.
Page 85: Let's split hairs! There was no such thing as the office of senator. Power was wielded by the magistrates, not the senators. This is not to say that the Senate was a rubber stamp.
Page 119: At Messina in 43 BC, Octavius failed in his first attempt to crush Neptune's son, Sextus Pompey.
Page 150: Antony is first in Cilicia to cross swords with the Parthians. Then, he goes to Tarsus to meet Cleopatra, and together the lovebirds set sail to Egypt.
Page 177: There are no pyramids in the Valley of the Kings.
Page 235: Roman marble statues were gaudily painted to make them more lifelike.
Page 242: I won't say much because I'm no spoiler, but this half-brother thing is fiction. You can bet that if there had been any suspicion on the matter, Republicans would have weaponised such tidbit at once.
Page 260: Octavius set up a two-tier sham to secure power for himself for an extended period of time. In 28 BC, his fake resignation led the Senate to declare him Princeps Senatus. The following year, after another deceit of the same ilk, the Empire was reorganised into senatorial and imperial provinces. Octavian was from then on called Augustus, wielding a ten-year proconsular imperium over Spain, Gaul and Syria.
Page 302: Suetonius is the only ancient source to mention Augustus’s intention to read his will aloud in the Senate. True to form, he provides no date and no chronological context. In fact, the political crisis of 23 BC — and the supposed fall‑out between Augustus and Agrippa — remains widely misunderstood. Agrippa was always the man Augustus trusted above all others.
Page 342: six lictors, not twelve, as a symbol of proconsular imperium.
In his latest instalment of historical fiction, Robert Harris sets himself the task of telling Agrippa’s story. He is fully aware of the scale of the undertaking: there is so much to say, and only so many pages in which to say it. The job is well done: the novel goes like clockwork when it comes to tracing the chain of events and disentangling such a flurry of facts.
Yet the exercise has its limits. When he wrote about Cicero, Harris rightly gave himself the space of a trilogy to paint a convincing portrait of a complex historical character. Agrippa may not be as intricate as Cicero, but he too lived at a time when events unfolded with dizzying speed, and I am not entirely sure this book will appeal to a reader who does not already have a fair idea of what he is getting into. At the beginning of chapter VIII, for instance, Lepidus, Brutus and Cassius turn up out of the blue — no introduction, no explanation — as if Harris takes it for granted that the reader is already well acquainted with them.
Some passages are therefore wanting in narrative scaffolding, but the overall impression remains good. And Harris’s witticisms are delightful, such as: “All was peace, the perfect conditions for war.”
Still, some may wonder whether it wouldn’t be faster — and cheaper — simply to log in to Wikipedia. This is the book’s main shortcoming: a crying lack of epic breath. Harris writes his Agrippa like a meticulous forensic chronicler, all cold facts and no affect. I admire him for being a thoughtful researcher and a stickler for historical accuracy (despite a few mistakes now and then — see my list below), but I would have liked to be reminded that historical figures were human beings above all. What is the point of historical fiction if it fails in this regard?
But I want to go easy on it, because all things considered, this book "prolongs the glorious life of Rome".
Edit.
Page 6. No weeks in the Roman calendar, only days and months.
Page 16. Cesar was appointed dictator before, not after, Pharsalus.
Page 26: "Cesar seizing a demonstrator with his own hands and ordering his execution"? That is pure fiction.
Page 32: Even in the midst of civil war, Roman citizens remained Roman citizens, and as such they couldn't be crucified. That was a punishment meted out only to slaves and foreigners when lawfully condemned to death.
Page 33: "Retrieving the fallen javelins". The spike of the pilum, the famous Roman javelin, was designed in such a way that once stuck into its target, it could not be taken off without breaking in two, so that the enemy could not return it to sender.
Page 34: This wall of dead bodies put up around the besieged city of Munda is another figment of the novelist's imagination.
Page 44 and page 95: The Senate declared Cesar Divus Iulius in 42BC, two years after his assassination.
Page 59: Antony's ambition couldn't be to become the next dictator for the very simple reason that after Cesar's death, Antony himself tabled a motion, which was adopted without difficulty, to abolish the office of dictator.
Page 60: Pater Patriae, Father of the Nation, was a title bestowed by the Senate upon Cicero to thank him for squashing the Catilina conspiracy.
Page 73: Quintilis became July while Cesar was still alive.
Page 78: Antony resorted to decimation in order to deal with troublemakers within his legions plagued with subversive Octavian's agents.
Page 80: Convening the Senate in the dead of night was totally illegal and impious. No night session could ever be held, as Antony only knew too well. This was one of his many bold moves to rattle the senators.
Page 85: Let's split hairs! There was no such thing as the office of senator. Power was wielded by the magistrates, not the senators. This is not to say that the Senate was a rubber stamp.
Page 119: At Messina in 43 BC, Octavius failed in his first attempt to crush Neptune's son, Sextus Pompey.
Page 150: Antony is first in Cilicia to cross swords with the Parthians. Then, he goes to Tarsus to meet Cleopatra, and together the lovebirds set sail to Egypt.
Page 177: There are no pyramids in the Valley of the Kings.
Page 235: Roman marble statues were gaudily painted to make them more lifelike.
Page 242: I won't say much because I'm no spoiler, but this half-brother thing is fiction. You can bet that if there had been any suspicion on the matter, Republicans would have weaponised such tidbit at once.
Page 260: Octavius set up a two-tier sham to secure power for himself for an extended period of time. In 28 BC, his fake resignation led the Senate to declare him Princeps Senatus. The following year, after another deceit of the same ilk, the Empire was reorganised into senatorial and imperial provinces. Octavian was from then on called Augustus, wielding a ten-year proconsular imperium over Spain, Gaul and Syria.
Page 302: Suetonius is the only ancient source to mention Augustus’s intention to read his will aloud in the Senate. True to form, he provides no date and no chronological context. In fact, the political crisis of 23 BC — and the supposed fall‑out between Augustus and Agrippa — remains widely misunderstood. Agrippa was always the man Augustus trusted above all others.
Page 342: six lictors, not twelve, as a symbol of proconsular imperium.
September 9, 2026
Agrippa just not agripping me
September 2, 2026
I’m a sucker for everything related to the ancients, so once I had this book within my grasp, I was done with it in less than 24 hours. The pages melted between my fingers like butter in a hot pan.
June 18, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a review.
Harris does it again. If you enjoyed conclave and Pompeii, no doubt you will appreciate this work. Agrippa shines a light on a (for me) little known piece of history. No doubt I was taught about these characters in school but there is nothing like a great historical fiction to bring it to life. The descriptions of the politics of the time show us that not a lot has changed as powerful men collaborate to stay in power.
I feel like this is a “guy novel” with the politics and the war, so I might not have loved it as much as Pompeii or Conclave, but no doubt it is still a wonderful read.
4*
Harris does it again. If you enjoyed conclave and Pompeii, no doubt you will appreciate this work. Agrippa shines a light on a (for me) little known piece of history. No doubt I was taught about these characters in school but there is nothing like a great historical fiction to bring it to life. The descriptions of the politics of the time show us that not a lot has changed as powerful men collaborate to stay in power.
I feel like this is a “guy novel” with the politics and the war, so I might not have loved it as much as Pompeii or Conclave, but no doubt it is still a wonderful read.
4*
September 10, 2026
I enjoyed Pompeii and the first two Cicero novels, but this is far from one of his best. It's not helped by the heavy-handed parallels with modern autocrats, which oblige the writer to populate the book with modern character types.
Would the Egyptian royal family really dress like characters from a Cecil B DeMille movie? (p19)
Agrippa has to seem like the real driving force (p52) which would be fine if Harris were a good enough writer to make this an interestingly unreliable account, but if he was this capable and this much of an egotist then he wouldn't have played second fiddle to Augustus for so long.
I was surprised that oars and sails were being used at the same time (p120) and would normally trust Harris's research if he hadn't had Ptolemy and Cleopatra relaxing on the terrace in antique Egyptian court clothing.
Telling instead of showing (p151) when Agrippa refers to Octavius's "force of character", which never comes across. Mostly Octavius frets indecisively, other people make suggestions, and he says OK.
I don't believe in this friendship (p166).
Can you throw a one-year-old up into the air (p172)? I don't have any experience with babies, but it seems risky.
Poor editing: Statilius Taurus goes from having two legions to three.
And then there's what The Economist calls "a clever plot twist" but is actually the sort of hackneyed trick that even Cecil B DeMille's screenwriters would have been embarrassed to stick into a story: . Harris may have hoped that would make the reader gasp; I just said, "Oh, fuck right off."
Overall, there is a fascinating story to be told about how Augustus stabilized the Roma Republic after years of civil war. He must have been a remarkable person, and he was lucky enough to have capable and trustworthy associates like Agrippa. Their relationship must have been fascinating and complex. None of that comes across here.
Addendum: a few days after I wrote the review, Trump offered a $5000 bribe to voters. I take back what I said about the modern parallels being forced. That bribe is a classic Roman move. I still think Harris hasn't done his best work here, and Trump is no Augustus, but I can't fault the book for its political metaphors.
Would the Egyptian royal family really dress like characters from a Cecil B DeMille movie? (p19)
Agrippa has to seem like the real driving force (p52) which would be fine if Harris were a good enough writer to make this an interestingly unreliable account, but if he was this capable and this much of an egotist then he wouldn't have played second fiddle to Augustus for so long.
I was surprised that oars and sails were being used at the same time (p120) and would normally trust Harris's research if he hadn't had Ptolemy and Cleopatra relaxing on the terrace in antique Egyptian court clothing.
Telling instead of showing (p151) when Agrippa refers to Octavius's "force of character", which never comes across. Mostly Octavius frets indecisively, other people make suggestions, and he says OK.
I don't believe in this friendship (p166).
Can you throw a one-year-old up into the air (p172)? I don't have any experience with babies, but it seems risky.
Poor editing: Statilius Taurus goes from having two legions to three.
And then there's what The Economist calls "a clever plot twist" but is actually the sort of hackneyed trick that even Cecil B DeMille's screenwriters would have been embarrassed to stick into a story: . Harris may have hoped that would make the reader gasp; I just said, "Oh, fuck right off."
Overall, there is a fascinating story to be told about how Augustus stabilized the Roma Republic after years of civil war. He must have been a remarkable person, and he was lucky enough to have capable and trustworthy associates like Agrippa. Their relationship must have been fascinating and complex. None of that comes across here.
Addendum: a few days after I wrote the review, Trump offered a $5000 bribe to voters. I take back what I said about the modern parallels being forced. That bribe is a classic Roman move. I still think Harris hasn't done his best work here, and Trump is no Augustus, but I can't fault the book for its political metaphors.
September 5, 2026
3.5 rounded up
This is how power destroys itself, by the fearsome energy of its own achievement.
Fascinating, a look at the almost unknown Agrippa and a view on what Augustus could have been like and their very complicated friendship.
This is how power destroys itself, by the fearsome energy of its own achievement.
Fascinating, a look at the almost unknown Agrippa and a view on what Augustus could have been like and their very complicated friendship.
July 28, 2026
I have read and enjoyed many Robert Harris novels, and he is one of the few authors that my husband and I can agree on for road trip listens. This latest was no exception, and I appreciated the references to a few of his other novels along the way. Harris's Cicero trilogy is my favorite of his works, so I was pleased to have a few appearances by the old statesman in this book too. It also helped me place Agrippa on my hazy timeline of Roman history. All the changing/similar names, marriages/divorces/affairs - am I the only one who has to look stuff up when I read Roman historical fiction?
Harris brings a great balance of politics, battle scenes, and personal drama to Agrippa's story that is also a story of Rome. If you enjoyed the author's other novels set in Roman times, you are sure to like this one as well. At times I felt sorry for Agrippa and at others he made me angry. The character was realistically portrayed as a complex, sometimes contradictory person. The novel was entertaining, and I learned a lot along the way. I appreciated the author's note that explained what is known and where Harris filled in gaps.
Another great book from Robert Harris that I'm sure will make a fantastic audiobook as well.
Thank you to NetGalley for my Kindle copy. Opinions are my own.
Harris brings a great balance of politics, battle scenes, and personal drama to Agrippa's story that is also a story of Rome. If you enjoyed the author's other novels set in Roman times, you are sure to like this one as well. At times I felt sorry for Agrippa and at others he made me angry. The character was realistically portrayed as a complex, sometimes contradictory person. The novel was entertaining, and I learned a lot along the way. I appreciated the author's note that explained what is known and where Harris filled in gaps.
Another great book from Robert Harris that I'm sure will make a fantastic audiobook as well.
Thank you to NetGalley for my Kindle copy. Opinions are my own.
September 10, 2026
Agrippa vertelt zijn memoires. Hij is 50 en heeft haast om alles op papier te zetten want hij heeft niet lang meer te leven. Hij is net teruggekeerd van een expeditie om een opstand van barbaren in het huidige Duitsland te bedwingen, maar bij zijn aankomst in Rome trof hij zijn vrouw aan in bed met zijn schoonzoon, de toekomstige keizer. Hij heeft een beetje medelijden met zichzelf en besluit op zijn buitenverblijf zijn leven te vertellen. Hoe hij Octavius hielp om de macht te grijpen maar ook hoe hij aquaducten bouwde en het pantheon dat nog steeds in Rome te bezoeken is...
Robert Harris schreef al eerder geweldige boeken over het oude Rome met 'Pompei' en de 'Cicero' trilogie. Agrippa is een belangrijk figuur in de Romeinse geschiedenis omdat hij feitelijk over Rome regeerde met Octavius. Hij liet nauwelijks brieven of geschriften na en zijn afkomst is vaag. Hij was een man zonder franjes, getuige de inscriptie op het Pantheon: "Marcus Agrippa, zoon van Lucius, maakte dit tijdens zijn derde consulaat.“ Harris kruipt als een acteur in de huid van Agrippa en neemt je mee doorheen zijn levensverhaal die de dorst naar macht van Octavius aan de kaak stelt en de teloorgang van de Romeinse republiek vertelt. Het boek is helder en gebald geschreven, leest als een trein, is goed gedocumenteerd en vaak ook onverwacht grappig.
Robert Harris schreef al eerder geweldige boeken over het oude Rome met 'Pompei' en de 'Cicero' trilogie. Agrippa is een belangrijk figuur in de Romeinse geschiedenis omdat hij feitelijk over Rome regeerde met Octavius. Hij liet nauwelijks brieven of geschriften na en zijn afkomst is vaag. Hij was een man zonder franjes, getuige de inscriptie op het Pantheon: "Marcus Agrippa, zoon van Lucius, maakte dit tijdens zijn derde consulaat.“ Harris kruipt als een acteur in de huid van Agrippa en neemt je mee doorheen zijn levensverhaal die de dorst naar macht van Octavius aan de kaak stelt en de teloorgang van de Romeinse republiek vertelt. Het boek is helder en gebald geschreven, leest als een trein, is goed gedocumenteerd en vaak ook onverwacht grappig.
September 1, 2026
Robert Harris knows how to write a page turner, and this return to the world of Ancient Rome is no exception. The novel is presented as Agrippa's memoirs, written during his final few days of illness in isolation at his villa after a career of soldiering and building in service of the emperor Augustus.
It's an action-packed narrative - but one with previous little depth. To my mind, great historical novels show how people in the distant past shared many of the same thoughts, feelings, and motivations that we do today, while simultaneously viewing the world, society, and their place within it in ways that are completely alien and shockingly different to our own modern conceptions and ideas. There's not much evidence of that here.
It's an action-packed narrative - but one with previous little depth. To my mind, great historical novels show how people in the distant past shared many of the same thoughts, feelings, and motivations that we do today, while simultaneously viewing the world, society, and their place within it in ways that are completely alien and shockingly different to our own modern conceptions and ideas. There's not much evidence of that here.
September 8, 2026
Told like a memoir of Agrippa it was a good read, but I think I was expecting more action or more of a story. I really appreciate all the research that went into this read and for once I didn't get confused by the Roman names.
I did not know who actually had a hand in making the aqueducts of the Roman times, but now I do!
I did not know who actually had a hand in making the aqueducts of the Roman times, but now I do!
September 4, 2026
Robert Harris is always good, but I don’t think this is his strongest! But it’s still so nicely put together and Agrippa is such a solid narrator.
September 12, 2026
I almost named my son Agrippa, and this book reminded me why.
I only have one complaint—this should’ve been a trilogy.
I only have one complaint—this should’ve been a trilogy.
September 9, 2026
“i like soldiers. i don’t like politicians, they leave their wounded behind.”
marcus agrippa i’ve grown very fond of you
marcus agrippa i’ve grown very fond of you
September 10, 2026
This book reads like the syllabus of a history lecture that ChatGPT put into the first person.
The dates and events are all there, but the characters are cardboard cutouts. You can’t really call it a novel.
The dates and events are all there, but the characters are cardboard cutouts. You can’t really call it a novel.
September 3, 2026
monotonous
The book really never takes off, become more descriptive, thrill the reader. It just enumerates Agrippa’s deeds . I believe, as an admirer of Mr. Harris’s books that he is capable of writing much better content.
The book really never takes off, become more descriptive, thrill the reader. It just enumerates Agrippa’s deeds . I believe, as an admirer of Mr. Harris’s books that he is capable of writing much better content.
September 2, 2026
2.5 stars. Roman politics after the assassination of Caesar. The descriptions and characters are very flat; basically a string of events with no real style and atmosphere.
September 12, 2026
I have been looking forward to this book ever since it was announced. Robert Harris lending his talents to one of my favourite historical figures? I was so ready.
I was a little... underwhelmed, I think? Or maybe, whelmed? I didn't hate the experience, I enjoyed it in fact, but I just wasn't as taken with it as I hoped I would be.
I never really connected to Harris' characterisation of Agrippa. Despite the novel being written as a memoir, it read very impersonal and mechanical at times; there was very little reflection and discussion of his feelings, which to me defeats the whole purpose of a memoir. To me, writing a memoir is a reflective act, to invite discussion of one's life and past choices. Agrippa in this book just kind of read like a blank slate.
I've already said this about a book I've read this year (Saara el Arifi's Cleopatra funnily rnough), but it read like the Res Gestae at times. Agrippa was just reciting everything he did, without any personal anecdotes or interjections.
I was also a little underwhelmed by the portrayal of Octavian and Agrippa's relationship. I was predicting a sort of 'frenemies' situation in which Octavian needs Agrippa but won't admit it and Agrippa is painfully loyal to Octavian even at his own expense, and we did get that, kind of? But because we spent about five seconds at the start of the novel exploring their childhood together, I didn't feel particularly invested, like we hadn't spent much time getting to know Agrippa and Octavian before we were thrust into the action.
That leads me into another issue with this book - it isn't long enough! And I don't say that in a I-love-it-so-much-I-need-more way, I say that in a this-hasn't-been-explored-enough-and-now-I'm-disconnected way. They're supposed to have this big argument part way through, leading Agrippa to run off to Greece and leave Octavian behind, but it didn't feel as big and explosive as it probably should have, and I think that's because Harris didn't spend enough time delving into their relationship. It's supposed to be the most important thing to Agrippa, for good or for ill, but it just didn't feel that way.
Octavian was a bit of a brat. Which I liked. That was an appropriate choice to me, lmao. And we got a healthy dose of Maecenas, which I also liked. He often gets pushed to the side in favour of the more exciting exploits of Agrippa and Octavian, but we got a healthy amount of Maecenas in this novel. Still could do with more, however.
We also get a healthy dose of Fulvia and Livia in this novel, which I do appreciate. Though she comes off more negatively (which I suppose is to be expected, she is working against Agrippa), Fulvia is acknowledged as a political powerhouse, and is said to be the only person who could silence Octavian. There is one negative comment about her appearance at the beginning which did feel needless however.
Livia too is given a pretty prominent role after she marries Octavian, also being portrayed as a shrewd political player and running the empire whilst Octavian lays dying. She is acknowledged as well as the only person he'll defer too.
Ultimately I did enjoy this book, but I don't think it's one for the serious history enjoyers or Ancient Rome obsessives. It read a little simple for my tastes, but I did have fun.
I was a little... underwhelmed, I think? Or maybe, whelmed? I didn't hate the experience, I enjoyed it in fact, but I just wasn't as taken with it as I hoped I would be.
I never really connected to Harris' characterisation of Agrippa. Despite the novel being written as a memoir, it read very impersonal and mechanical at times; there was very little reflection and discussion of his feelings, which to me defeats the whole purpose of a memoir. To me, writing a memoir is a reflective act, to invite discussion of one's life and past choices. Agrippa in this book just kind of read like a blank slate.
I've already said this about a book I've read this year (Saara el Arifi's Cleopatra funnily rnough), but it read like the Res Gestae at times. Agrippa was just reciting everything he did, without any personal anecdotes or interjections.
I was also a little underwhelmed by the portrayal of Octavian and Agrippa's relationship. I was predicting a sort of 'frenemies' situation in which Octavian needs Agrippa but won't admit it and Agrippa is painfully loyal to Octavian even at his own expense, and we did get that, kind of? But because we spent about five seconds at the start of the novel exploring their childhood together, I didn't feel particularly invested, like we hadn't spent much time getting to know Agrippa and Octavian before we were thrust into the action.
That leads me into another issue with this book - it isn't long enough! And I don't say that in a I-love-it-so-much-I-need-more way, I say that in a this-hasn't-been-explored-enough-and-now-I'm-disconnected way. They're supposed to have this big argument part way through, leading Agrippa to run off to Greece and leave Octavian behind, but it didn't feel as big and explosive as it probably should have, and I think that's because Harris didn't spend enough time delving into their relationship. It's supposed to be the most important thing to Agrippa, for good or for ill, but it just didn't feel that way.
Octavian was a bit of a brat. Which I liked. That was an appropriate choice to me, lmao. And we got a healthy dose of Maecenas, which I also liked. He often gets pushed to the side in favour of the more exciting exploits of Agrippa and Octavian, but we got a healthy amount of Maecenas in this novel. Still could do with more, however.
We also get a healthy dose of Fulvia and Livia in this novel, which I do appreciate. Though she comes off more negatively (which I suppose is to be expected, she is working against Agrippa), Fulvia is acknowledged as a political powerhouse, and is said to be the only person who could silence Octavian. There is one negative comment about her appearance at the beginning which did feel needless however.
Livia too is given a pretty prominent role after she marries Octavian, also being portrayed as a shrewd political player and running the empire whilst Octavian lays dying. She is acknowledged as well as the only person he'll defer too.
Ultimately I did enjoy this book, but I don't think it's one for the serious history enjoyers or Ancient Rome obsessives. It read a little simple for my tastes, but I did have fun.
September 14, 2026
It has been quite a while since I read John Williams’s “Augustus”, one of my all-time favourite historical novels, but Harrison’s “Agrippa” brought it back to mind almost immediately. If you enjoyed “Agrippa”, especially its memoir-like style, I would definitely recommend picking up “Augustus” next; the two make an excellent pair. In fact, there were moments when I could almost hear echoes of Williams in Harrison’s writing, so I would not be surprised if “Augustus” was a genuine influence here.
The novel follows Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa from his rather unusual (upside-down) beginnings all the way to his premature death, focusing above all on the relationship that defined both his life and, in many ways, the course of history – his friendship with the sickly young Octavian. From the bloody civil wars and the defeat of Mark Antony to Octavian’s eventual emergence as Augustus, Agrippa played a major part at every stage of his rise; whatever happened around Octavian, Agrippa was almost always there. Harrison does a good job of weaving the known facts of Agrippa’s life together with his own interpretations, filling in the many gaps left by the sources and bringing to life a man who remains relatively unknown beyond Roman history enthusiasts. His relative obscurity is actually quite surprising when you consider just how important he was: for years Agrippa was effectively the second man in Rome and, during Augustus’s illnesses or absences, at times the de facto ruler of the empire.
From a historical point of view, this is clearly a well-researched novel, grounded in the surviving sources, although I do have one fairly significant criticism. Without going into spoilers, Agrippa’s origins are presented quite differently from what we actually know. Harrison explains the choice in the afterword, but I am not convinced it was necessary, especially since the real relationship between Augustus and Agrippa was already fascinating enough. To me, changing that background takes away some of what made their friendship so extraordinary in the first place... Their bond was remarkable, and Agrippa’s loyalty to Augustus so unwavering, that it is almost surprising his name never became a byword for the unfailingly loyal friend, much as Maecenas – another member of Augustus’s inner circle – became a general term for a patron of the arts. That alone, I think, is fascinating enough to explore without the need for such an unnecessary alteration.
Still, criticism aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. “Agrippa” is an excellent novel about a remarkable man who lived through one of the great turning points in Roman history – and, indeed, European history – and played an enormous part in shaping what came after. Soldier, admiral, builder, administrator, statesman and, above all, Augustus’s indispensable friend, Agrippa was anything but a side character in the history of his age. Harrison succeeds in giving him a voice of his own and, for a few hundred pages, making this often overlooked figure of Roman history feel alive again.
The novel follows Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa from his rather unusual (upside-down) beginnings all the way to his premature death, focusing above all on the relationship that defined both his life and, in many ways, the course of history – his friendship with the sickly young Octavian. From the bloody civil wars and the defeat of Mark Antony to Octavian’s eventual emergence as Augustus, Agrippa played a major part at every stage of his rise; whatever happened around Octavian, Agrippa was almost always there. Harrison does a good job of weaving the known facts of Agrippa’s life together with his own interpretations, filling in the many gaps left by the sources and bringing to life a man who remains relatively unknown beyond Roman history enthusiasts. His relative obscurity is actually quite surprising when you consider just how important he was: for years Agrippa was effectively the second man in Rome and, during Augustus’s illnesses or absences, at times the de facto ruler of the empire.
From a historical point of view, this is clearly a well-researched novel, grounded in the surviving sources, although I do have one fairly significant criticism. Without going into spoilers, Agrippa’s origins are presented quite differently from what we actually know. Harrison explains the choice in the afterword, but I am not convinced it was necessary, especially since the real relationship between Augustus and Agrippa was already fascinating enough. To me, changing that background takes away some of what made their friendship so extraordinary in the first place... Their bond was remarkable, and Agrippa’s loyalty to Augustus so unwavering, that it is almost surprising his name never became a byword for the unfailingly loyal friend, much as Maecenas – another member of Augustus’s inner circle – became a general term for a patron of the arts. That alone, I think, is fascinating enough to explore without the need for such an unnecessary alteration.
Still, criticism aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. “Agrippa” is an excellent novel about a remarkable man who lived through one of the great turning points in Roman history – and, indeed, European history – and played an enormous part in shaping what came after. Soldier, admiral, builder, administrator, statesman and, above all, Augustus’s indispensable friend, Agrippa was anything but a side character in the history of his age. Harrison succeeds in giving him a voice of his own and, for a few hundred pages, making this often overlooked figure of Roman history feel alive again.
September 4, 2026
Robert Harris went on record as saying he’s been fascinated by Marcus Agrippa for many years. I understand his enthusiasm – I have been fascinated by and have studied the man for over 50 years now, at both educational and recreational levels. There is nothing new for me to learn about Agrippa, Augustus, and the shift from late Republic to early Principate. So; I’d been anxiously awaiting this release since it was first announced. At last, someone would give Agrippa the treatment he deserves in a historical novel. So, I want to be as fair as I can here by stating what’s good about Harris’ latest trip to ancient Rome.
The man has done his research – in fact, almost every event that happened in Agrippa’s career is recorded in this novel. There are a few historical inaccuracies, anachronisms and authorial inventions, as one may find in most fictional accounts, but these can be set aside if a story is told well; if the characters shine, and if the interpretation of events adds a new insight. Unfortunately, this is where the book falls short for me.
The novel, written in memoir form, relates its events in flat, lifeless and, for the most part, characterless prose. His account of Agrippa’s childhood and family life – of which we know next to nothing, of course – is predictable, lazy and unimaginative, including the long since questioned etymology of his name. Accounts of battles, building programmes and the political machinations of the rise to power of Augustus are all included but are let down by poor characterisation. Agrippa is not quite as one-dimensional as the people he writes about, but beyond a very odd flash of deep thought or wry humour, we never truly feel the man. As for Harris’ portrayal of Octavius/Augustus – that is a complete disaster. What we have is a petulant Trump-like narcissist who goes in for toddler tantrums on a whim. And it must be a difficult thing for Livia and Julia to be colourless in any novel, but by the gods, Harris has managed it! Dialogue throughout is workaday and uninspiring; very few scenes are truly dramatised; there’s little flair throughout. The whole thing lacks vibrancy.
There could have been so much more here. The two stars are for the stalwart effort to include every event of Agrippa’s life – the author even includes a nod to Agrippa's favourite Sallustian motto. But if only there were time to breathe, to savour, but there isn’t. We are rushed through at a relentless pace, and after a while this format starts to grow stale.
Readers who have highly rated the book highlight its contribution to the history of the period, and I am glad many have enjoyed it. As it shed no new light on a period I know well, I was looking for other things, particularly strong characterisation and immersive prose. Alas, I couldn't find either.
The Cicero trilogy was a decent read, but this one has been a thorough disappointment for me, and I was looking forward to it for months.
The man has done his research – in fact, almost every event that happened in Agrippa’s career is recorded in this novel. There are a few historical inaccuracies, anachronisms and authorial inventions, as one may find in most fictional accounts, but these can be set aside if a story is told well; if the characters shine, and if the interpretation of events adds a new insight. Unfortunately, this is where the book falls short for me.
The novel, written in memoir form, relates its events in flat, lifeless and, for the most part, characterless prose. His account of Agrippa’s childhood and family life – of which we know next to nothing, of course – is predictable, lazy and unimaginative, including the long since questioned etymology of his name. Accounts of battles, building programmes and the political machinations of the rise to power of Augustus are all included but are let down by poor characterisation. Agrippa is not quite as one-dimensional as the people he writes about, but beyond a very odd flash of deep thought or wry humour, we never truly feel the man. As for Harris’ portrayal of Octavius/Augustus – that is a complete disaster. What we have is a petulant Trump-like narcissist who goes in for toddler tantrums on a whim. And it must be a difficult thing for Livia and Julia to be colourless in any novel, but by the gods, Harris has managed it! Dialogue throughout is workaday and uninspiring; very few scenes are truly dramatised; there’s little flair throughout. The whole thing lacks vibrancy.
There could have been so much more here. The two stars are for the stalwart effort to include every event of Agrippa’s life – the author even includes a nod to Agrippa's favourite Sallustian motto. But if only there were time to breathe, to savour, but there isn’t. We are rushed through at a relentless pace, and after a while this format starts to grow stale.
Readers who have highly rated the book highlight its contribution to the history of the period, and I am glad many have enjoyed it. As it shed no new light on a period I know well, I was looking for other things, particularly strong characterisation and immersive prose. Alas, I couldn't find either.
The Cicero trilogy was a decent read, but this one has been a thorough disappointment for me, and I was looking forward to it for months.
September 4, 2026
First Person is such a bummer POV! I advance bought this hoping for another Pompeii - nope.
★★★☆☆ — 2.5 stars, generously rounded up.
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa deserved an epic. Unfortunately, Robert Harris gives him a memoir. C’mon! You’re not a Kindle Unlimited author.
As stated, went into Agrippa already wary of the first-person perspective & while Harris is talented enough to make it more tolerable than most, he never overcame what I consider the fundamental limitation of the format.
Because Agrippa is recounting his life after the fact, there’s very little tension or anticipation. Events aren’t really unfolding before us—they’re being reported to us. This happened, then that happened, then I went here, then I did this.
Much of the novel consequently feels like exposition rather than a living historical narrative. Even the dialogue, presented with dashes rather than conventional quotation marks, reinforces the feeling that we’re reading someone’s written recollections instead of inhabiting scenes as they happen.
And that’s particularly frustrating because Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa is an absolutely epic historical figure.
Agrippa was far more than Augustus’s loyal sidekick. He was one of the great military and political operators of the late Roman Republic: general, admiral, statesman, administrator and builder. He crushed Sextus Pompey’s naval power at Naulochus, developed the harbor complex at Portus Julius, campaigned in Gaul and Hispania, and—most importantly—was the military and naval mastermind behind Octavian’s victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31 BC. Without Agrippa, it’s difficult to imagine Octavian becoming Augustus and establishing the political order that became the Roman Empire…372 1st person pages is all Harris could muster?
His personal life put him equally close to the center of the emerging Julio-Claudian dynasty. His third wife was Julia the Elder, Augustus’s only biological daughter, and their descendants would sit at the heart of imperial Rome. Their daughter Agrippina the Elder became the mother of Agrippina the Younger, who in turn became the mother of Nero. Thus Agrippa—the great lieutenant who helped create Augustus’s empire—was Nero’s great-grandfather.
That’s a life crying out for a sprawling historical novel: campaigns, battles, political maneuvering, friendship and rivalry with Octavian, Actium, the transformation of Rome, Julia & the beginnings of a dynasty that would eventually produce Caligula and Nero…I wanted more.
Instead, Agrippa often feels like we’re being given the minutes of an extraordinary life rather than being allowed to experience it.
Harris remains an excellent writer, and his skill kept me aboard despite a narrative perspective I normally dislike. But Agrippa deserved more room, more immediacy and, above all, more drama.
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. An extraordinary Roman given a surprisingly ordinary telling.
★★★☆☆ — 2.5 stars, generously rounded up.
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa deserved an epic. Unfortunately, Robert Harris gives him a memoir. C’mon! You’re not a Kindle Unlimited author.
As stated, went into Agrippa already wary of the first-person perspective & while Harris is talented enough to make it more tolerable than most, he never overcame what I consider the fundamental limitation of the format.
Because Agrippa is recounting his life after the fact, there’s very little tension or anticipation. Events aren’t really unfolding before us—they’re being reported to us. This happened, then that happened, then I went here, then I did this.
Much of the novel consequently feels like exposition rather than a living historical narrative. Even the dialogue, presented with dashes rather than conventional quotation marks, reinforces the feeling that we’re reading someone’s written recollections instead of inhabiting scenes as they happen.
And that’s particularly frustrating because Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa is an absolutely epic historical figure.
Agrippa was far more than Augustus’s loyal sidekick. He was one of the great military and political operators of the late Roman Republic: general, admiral, statesman, administrator and builder. He crushed Sextus Pompey’s naval power at Naulochus, developed the harbor complex at Portus Julius, campaigned in Gaul and Hispania, and—most importantly—was the military and naval mastermind behind Octavian’s victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31 BC. Without Agrippa, it’s difficult to imagine Octavian becoming Augustus and establishing the political order that became the Roman Empire…372 1st person pages is all Harris could muster?
His personal life put him equally close to the center of the emerging Julio-Claudian dynasty. His third wife was Julia the Elder, Augustus’s only biological daughter, and their descendants would sit at the heart of imperial Rome. Their daughter Agrippina the Elder became the mother of Agrippina the Younger, who in turn became the mother of Nero. Thus Agrippa—the great lieutenant who helped create Augustus’s empire—was Nero’s great-grandfather.
That’s a life crying out for a sprawling historical novel: campaigns, battles, political maneuvering, friendship and rivalry with Octavian, Actium, the transformation of Rome, Julia & the beginnings of a dynasty that would eventually produce Caligula and Nero…I wanted more.
Instead, Agrippa often feels like we’re being given the minutes of an extraordinary life rather than being allowed to experience it.
Harris remains an excellent writer, and his skill kept me aboard despite a narrative perspective I normally dislike. But Agrippa deserved more room, more immediacy and, above all, more drama.
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. An extraordinary Roman given a surprisingly ordinary telling.
September 8, 2026
Unfortunately the character Agrippa isn't really made out to be interesting in this novel, he is just narrating the events of an interesting Time.
Roman fiction in the form of memoir or letters is a tried and tested formula.
However this time round you don't get the emotional depth of John Williams' Augustus
or the granular historical detail of Robert Graves' I, Claudius leaving it in a bland middle ground.
Also some lines took me out of it.
At one point Agrippa describes the adrenaline rush of surviving a battle as being similar to an addicting drug. Not that I know the man personally but I don't think Agrippa would use a term like this.
Roman fiction in the form of memoir or letters is a tried and tested formula.
However this time round you don't get the emotional depth of John Williams' Augustus
or the granular historical detail of Robert Graves' I, Claudius leaving it in a bland middle ground.
Also some lines took me out of it.
At one point Agrippa describes the adrenaline rush of surviving a battle as being similar to an addicting drug. Not that I know the man personally but I don't think Agrippa would use a term like this.
September 8, 2026
I’m giving this book 3 stars because the research and recording of history is clearly very well done. However as a novel I found it a hard and long slog. It is told as a memoir so there is no actual dialogue, only reported conversations. The list of characters is vast and difficult to keep track of. It reads more as a monotonous history textbook and it is hard to maintain interest when it mainly reels off battles, travels and who marries who and has what children. Disappointed, having loved the author’s previous works.
September 12, 2026
Solid. This was very entertaining. I listened to the audiobook version and enjoyed the take on these well-known stories from Agrippa’s perspective - the henchman, the brawn, engineer and trusted second in command of Emperor Augustus. In this, I found Agrippa cold, ambitious, wary and pragmatically simple in his motivations - “I could hardly refuse” being his mantra (or so it is represented here). Overall, highly recommended if you’re looking for no stress, linear yet expert storytelling. 4.5 Roman legions.
September 14, 2026
Loved this! Air tight writing, unputdownable. The history, the intrigue, the plotting, regrets, wars, the day to day life in Ancient Rome … loved all of it. I am now going down rabbit holes about Agrippa, Augustus, Julia, Cecilia ….! Yes this is the Agrippa whose name is on the famous pantheon in Rome. Eager to read other books by Robert Harris.
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