Julius Caesar

by Alfred Duggan

Note on Proper Names
The Setting
The Rise of Party
Caesar's Early Life
The Rising Politician
Caesar in Gaul
Caesar and Pompeius
The End of the Optimates
Caesar Imperator
Notes for Further Reading
Index
A Note on the Type

221 pages, Hardcover

First published June 13, 1955

About the author

"There have been few historical imaginations better informed or more gifted than Alfred Duggan’s" (The New Criterion).

Historian, archaeologist and novelist Alfred Leo Duggan wrote historical fiction and non-fiction about a wide range of subjects, in places and times as diverse as Julius Caesar’s Rome and the Medieval Europe of Thomas Becket.

Although he was born in Argentina, Duggan grew up in England, and was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford. After Oxford, he travelled extensively through Greece and Turkey, visiting almost all the sites later mentioned in his books. In 1935 helped excavate Constantine’s palace in Istanbul.

Duggan came to writing fiction quite late in his life: his first novel about the First Crusade, Knight in Armour, was published in 1950, after which he published at least a book every year until his death in 1964. His fictional works were bestselling page-turners, but thoroughly grounded in meticulous research informed by Duggan’s experience as an archaeologist and historian.

Duggan has been favourably compared to Bernard Cornwell as well as being praised in his own right as "an extremely gifted writer who can move into an unknown period and give it life and immediacy" (New York Times).

Reviews

[Aspar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great summary of Julius Caesar's life, from beginning to end. While describes historical events accurately and includes all of the major/relevant events, Duggan is clearly infatuated with the character of Caesar. The level of adoration he demonstrates towards Caesar is a bit frightening, considering his populist, tyrannical, and ruthless nature. Even while highlighting Caesar's ruthless and immoral qualities, Duggan seems enamored with him. Duggan also brushes aside the critiques of Caesar's contemporaries, denigrating them (Pompey, Cicero, Marcus Antony, etc) while largely ignoring Caesar's own faults.

I enjoyed the inclusion of the Gracchus brothers and their property and enfranchisement agendas.

This is a great book to refresh one's recollection of the life of Julius Caesar and the milestone events that happened during his life. However, is not a great reflection on the character of Caesar himself. Duggan's snarky comments and diminutive descriptions of some famous Romans is entertaining though.

[Vicki Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good look at the life of Julius Caesar, written in 1955. Duggan has a brief overview of the history of Rome and of the political structure there. While he admires Caesar, he appears to be on the side of the Optimates. For example - "The Optimates stood for a principle, and a sensible one, though it is out of favor at the present day: that citizens should be undisturbed in their private lives, and free to follow the political parties of their choice, even if that entailed a weak, incompetent, and corrupt central government. But the Populars, who had once held the opposite opinion, that a majority has the right to coerce an unwilling minority, were now split into purely personal factions." In the end, they just couldn't cope with Caesar's military genius and his ability to get his troops to be devoted to him.

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of biographies of Caius Julius Caesar available. This may be the best short one. The author was not only an historian. He was also an accomplished historical novelist. His Family Favorites was a hoot.