Cleopatra is alleged to have killed both her brothers and sisters who were eying the throne. Reading this book had special significance for me, because cleopatra and egypt were my first real historical obsessions. The book has been awarded with penjacqueline bograd weld award for biography 2011, goodreads choice award nominee for history and biography 2010 and many others. Therefore it need a free signup process to obtain the book. After caesars murder, she became the lover to mark anthony. As a member of the ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder ptolemy i soter, a macedonian greek general and companion of. Translations that use modern, chatty language so that you better understand whats written and learn words people actually use today. Welcome,you are looking at books for reading, the cleopatra a life, you will able to read or download in pdf or epub books and notice some of author may have lock the live reading for some of country. For 2,000 years, cleopatra has counted among the losers whom history remembers, but for the wrong reasons. Nov 01, 2010 a pulitzer prizewinning biographer presents a swift, sympathetic life of one of historys most maligned and legendary women.
Above all else, cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious. Ever since it was published more than 150 years ago, louisa may alcotts classic novel about the four march sisters, meg, jo, beth, and amy, has been revered and adored for its portrait of american life, its depiction of growing from adolescence into maturity, its exploration of the bonds among the siblings at the heart of the story, and its. The first edition of the novel was published in september 5th 2006, and was written by stacy schiff. In addition, she has a tartness to match the standards of cleos handmaiden. The line had been founded by alexanders general ptolemy, who became king ptolemy i soter of egypt. She is said to have introduced the leap year and day to ceaser and. She is said to have introduced the leap year and day to ceaser and he implemented it in the roman calendar. The accounts of her life, which were written by contemporaries and even acquaintances, will offer the reader a sense not only of cleopatra, but also of the literature and historiography of the time. Cleopatra documentary biography of the life of cleopatra.
He found the answer in a single word a womans name. I received this book as part of a collection put together on women in history. Bilingual book the life of cleopatra french english. Cleopatra is a masterwork there is so much information being imparted and yet it never feels stale, fussy or stiff. While cleopatra was born in egypt, she traced her family origins to macedonian greece and ptolemy i soter, one of alexander the greats generals. Told in cleopatra s own voice, the memoirs of cleopatra is a mesmerizing tale of ambition, passion, and betrayal in. Her palace shimmered with gold but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Told in cleopatras own voice, the memoirs of cleopatra is a mesmerizing tale of ambition, passion, and betrayal in. Ancient sources include both the historical plutarch, suetonius, cassius dio, julius caesar, appian, and velleius paterculus and the literary horace, vergil, lucan, and ovid. A pulitzer prizewinning biographer presents a swift, sympathetic life of one of historys most maligned and legendary women. Schiff writes, she controlled virtually the entire eastern mediterranean coast, the last great kingdom of.
A life by stacy schiff a new and important biography of the misunderstood final queen of egypt. During her early childhood, cleopatra was brought up in the palace of alexandria in egypt and received a primarilyhellenistic. Parul sehgal is a nonfiction editor at publishers weekly. Nine days later cleopatra took her own life in turn, most likely by poison, schiff says. It all started on that day of days, when the mummy remake came out in 1999.
If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the. Bestselling novelist margaret george brings to life the glittering kingdom of cleopatra, queen of the nile, in this lush, sweeping, and richly detailed saga. As childhood was not a subject of great interest to the ancients, schiff explains, players tended to emerge fully formed into. L uscious and scrupulous is a difficult combination to pull off, but stacy schiff does so in her life of cleopatra. If it available for your country it will shown as book reader and user fully subscribe will benefit by having full. Schiffs remarkable book makes a mighty restitution and gives the vanquished queen, finally, a happier afterlife. The biggest legend debunked by this remarkable book is the ageold reason for cleopatras death. A life, winner of the penjacqueline bograd weld award for biography. Buy online stacy schiff brings to life one of the most intriguing women in the history of the world.
Mar 12, 2020 her palace shimmered with gold but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. I was captivated, enthralled, absolutely in love with ancient egypt. Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the. Oct 08, 2018 biographical documentary of the life of cleopatra. Cleopatra was born a goddess, became a queen at 18 and at the height of her power, ms. Its as though cleopatra lives and breathes once again in the pages of stacy schiffs exquisitely researched and wellwritten cleopatra. Above all else, cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Learn all there is to know about the woman who ruled ancient egypt as well as gain insights about her sacred animal companion the cat with these 5 informative and imaginative books about cleopatra. Cleopatra, who reigned as queen of egypt during the 1st century b. As author stacy schiff points out, its as if our only information about napoleon. Cleopatras asp is the cherry tree of ancient history. Jul 14, 2017 cleopatra is alleged to have killed both her brothers and sisters who were eying the throne. These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points, if.
Since no contemporary accounts exist of cleopatras life, it is difficult to piece together her biography with much certainty. The pulitzer prizewinning biographer brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world. Her life inspired a shakespeare play and several movies. Vladimir nabokov, stacy schiff revealed a woman who was more creative. The main characters of this history, biography story are cleopatra. Ive written about hypatia, the lady philosopher of alexandria. Cleopatra is buried under centuries of lies, and stacy schiff calls on her considerable powers to bring her back to life for us. A documentary on the life of cleopatra from her birth and childhood in alexandria, to her war over egypt w. Cleopatra, the wealthiest ruler of her time and one of the most powerful women in history, was a canny political strategist, a brilliant manager, a tough negotiator, and the most manipulative of lovers. Schiff claims that there is no way a single snake could have killed the queen and her two faithful attendants, iras and charmion, so quickly and peacefully. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 302 pages and is available in hardcover format. Like all good writing should, the book flows freely and makes readers feel as if they are engrossed in a truly engaging conversation with a new friend at a cocktail party the kind of discussion where all you can do is. Cleopatra was queen of a large, rich, highly sophisticated country for more than 20 years, yet almost everything we know about her comes from a legend created by her most deadly enemy, the roman emperor augustus.
I had never read much on cleopatra, which is surprising because since childhood i have read extensively on ancient greece and egypt, but never more than touched on the subject of cleopatra, so my prior knowledge of her was the legend, ie. Feb 28, 2020 cleopatra, who reigned as queen of egypt during the 1st century b. Most notably her life was probably not quite like the elizabeth taylor portrayal, though everything does indicate she was at least somewhat beautiful. A life by stacy schiff, featured in the november 2010 issue of o, the oprah magazine. Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnets, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Ever since it was published more than 150 years ago, louisa may alcotts classic novel about the four march sisters, meg, jo, beth, and amy, has been revered and adored for its portrait of american life, its depiction of growing from adolescence into maturity, its exploration of the bonds among the siblings at the heart of the story. A life misunderstood you may know something about cleopatra. Books about cleopatra fiction and nonfiction 56 books. This books threads cleopatras life from her beginnings to her untimely demise at roughly 39 years of age, ending in romeo and juliet style, she was the last of the ptolemaicgrecian to rule egypt. Learn greek bilingual book greek english the life of. No one is better on auletes and his travails than mary sianidavies, especially her ptolemy xii auletes and the romans, historia 46 1997. Daughter of king ptolemy xii auletes, cleopatra was destined to become the last queen of the macedonian dynasty that ruled egypt between the death of alexander the great in 323 bce and its annexation by rome in 30 bce.
The life of cleopatra the adventures of julius caesar the starry night with this edition you get. A life is a compelling, stunningly contextual biography. Nov 02, 2010 cleopatra was born a goddess, became a queen at 18 and at the height of her power, ms. Deposed from power by her brother, cleopatra aligned herself with julius caesar to regain the throne. It should be noted that cr and his ghostwriter offer the sole contemporary accounts of the war. She was also the last ruler of the ptolemaic kingdom of egypt. It makes sense of the canonical, jumbled, and inconsistent biographical accounts of ancient writers who didnt know cleopatra personally.
Franklin, france, and the birth of america, winner of the george washington book prize and the ambassador book award. The book injects the egyptian queen with a complexity and humanity that has long since been forgotten. New yorker contributor schiff a great improvisation. Cleopatra was of macedonian descent and had little, if any. The berlin cleopatra, a roman sculpture of cleopatra wearing a royal diadem, mid1st century bc around the time of her visits to rome in 4644 bc, discovered in an italian villa along the via appia and now located in the altes museum in germany. With wit, clarity, and grace, schiff has done what only the best writers can do. Cleopatra vii philopator 69 bc august 12, 30 bc was an egyptian queen and the last pharaoh of ancient egypt. Franklin, france, and the birth of america, 2005, etc. The last queen of egypt was a lover of julius caesar and marc antony and a brilliant ruler in her own right. It is unlikely that robert crumb saw the book before setting out to draw zap, given cleopatras limited distribution and the fact that he was already. Her palace shimmered with onyx and gold but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue.
The life and loves of cleopatra was a significantly groundbreaking work, as nothing that came before it outside of the tijuana bibles depicted such explicit scenes of sex in comic book form. Empress galla placidia and her niece pulcheria who both ruled rome in its waning days. Its 20 years since a fine book by lucy hugheshallett undertook to disentangle the last. One of antiquitys most famous rulers, cleopatras life inspired william shakespeares play antony and cleopatra and numerous film dramatizations, most famously a 1963 feature starring elizabeth. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read cleopatra. Although her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world.
1050 1043 437 350 1004 1214 287 1307 1347 936 789 403 875 243 589 1542 95 362 530 1524 1457 1024 1183 374 361 1629 424 1142 513 441 517 1401 7 480 1003 445 339 825 492 942