Dictator: A novel

Robert Harris

Jan 2016 · Sold by Vintage

About this ebook

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the acclaimed author of Conclave, Dictator brings ancient Rome to life, charting Cicero’s fight to regain power through a fateful alliance with Julius Caesar

Don’t miss Robert Harris’s forthcoming Agrippa: A Novel of Ancient Rome's Descent into Dictatorship

“[Harris] captures . . . triumviral intrigue magnificently, not relenting as the players meet their gruesome ends.” —The Wall Street Journal

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Guardian, The Sunday Times (London), The Mail on Sunday, The Spectator, BBC History Magazine, Metro, and The Herald (Glasgow)

At the age of forty-eight, Cicero—the greatest orator of his time—is in exile, his power sacrificed on the altar of his principles. The only way to return to Rome is to pledge his support to a charismatic and dangerous enemy: Julius Caesar. Harnessing his political cunning, unrivalled intellect, and the sheer brilliance of his words, Cicero fights his way back to prominence. Yet no public figure is completely safeguarded against the unscrupulous ambition of others.

Riveting and tumultuous, Dictator encompasses the most epic events in ancient history, including the collapse of the Roman Republic, the murder of Pompey, and the assassination of Caesar. But its central question is a timeless one: how to keep political freedom unsullied by personal gain, vested interests, and the corrosive effects of ceaseless foreign wars. In Robert Harris’s indelible portrait, Cicero is a deeply fascinating hero for his own time and for ours.

Ratings and reviews

enjoyed this book. it's a great read that brings history to life.

Simply a GREAT read

About the author

ROBERT HARRIS is the bestselling author of sixteen novels, including Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel, Pompeii, Imperium, The Ghost Writer, Conspirata, The Fear Index, An Officer and a Spy, Dictator, Conclave, Munich, and The Second Sleep. Several of his books have been adapted to film, most recently An Officer and a Spy. His work has been translated into forty languages. He lives in the village of Kintbury, England, with his wife, Gill Hornby.