However, one thing I wish Holland would have done is to acknowledge this within the text as well. While all history is subject to interpretation (or even outright lies, depending on what the sources are and how biased they are), the farther back you go the worse it gets. This is all well and good, and I'm glad that he warned us. 'In short, the reader should take it as a rule of thumb that many statements of fact in this book could plausibly be contradicted by an opposite interpretation.' Pg xx (introduction) Instead, it's a minefield where historians have to tread carefully. Yet even so, it's impossible to take everything written as fact, immune to different interpretations. Holland begins by talking about the amount of information from this time period that we have access to, as it's one of the most recorded periods in ancient history. In doing so, Holland has produced a very readable account, meticulously researched, that will make anybody with even a mild interest in this time period clamor for more. The history is dotted with colorful characters (from Caesar to Spartacus to Cleopatra and beyond) and Holland brings them all to life, often in their own words. Holland covers all the wars, civil unrest and the decline of senatorial power as he shows us the events leading to dictatorship. Instead, he gives us a history of the fall of the Republic, from the late second century BC to the death of Caesar in 44 BC. The reader is left to his/her own conclusions on this issue, but unfortunately the back cover draws attention to this aspect making you think that's what the book is going to be about. Or, maybe it wasn't one, since this is the last time he mentions it. What parallels might be drawn between the present-day United States and the Roman Republic before Julius Caesar took over? It's a fascinating question, and one that seems to be an inspiration to Tom Holland, as he mentions it in the introduction to Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic. Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic - book review Rubicon

Rubicon by Tom Holland