“The Alexandrians were known as fast-talking, witty, and vicious. Their tempers could rise as rapidly and unpredictably as a thunderstorm from the sea, or a khamsin, the hot southerly wind that blows in from the desert. They loved music and gossip, and they could be whipped up into a mob. They were capable of starting a fire, lynching an ambassador or dragging an unpopular king from the palace and murdering him. This was the city of Cleopatra.”

Augustus, Antony and Cleopatra - I never get tired of Roman history. These people had such juicy lives. This book recounts the rise of Augustus after the death of Caesar, including an intriguing cast of characters, culminating in the naval battle of Actium in which Augustus defeated the powerful team of Antony and Cleopatra. I am not a huge fan of military history, but this book made it palatable for me. The description of Actium was particularly compelling.

The book is entertainingly and clearly written and I like the way that the author treated competing opinions about events. One of my takeaways from the book is a desire to read more about Cleopatra, since I have already read a lot about Augustus. At the end of the book the bibliography (not included in the audiobook) is divided into topics, so it was easy for me to find sources to add to my want to read list.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

A thorough overview of the end of the second triumvirate and the start of the age of Augustus. Strauss' excellent use of primary and secondary sources make it accessible without oversimplifying the subject.

This was an excellent Roman history book. It remained engaging and not very dry and dense like some nonfiction histories. I definitely would read more from this author.

The title says it all. The Battle of Actium truly was a war that defined what the Roman Empire was going to become and how its legacy was going to endure for centuries to come. Professor and Historian Barry Strauss writes in a style that is exciting and brisk, drawing in the reader with a narrative that is spiced with riveting personalities that have become iconic in their own right. Where Strauss really succeeds, however, is in writing a military history text for the novice historian, or for the historian for whom the military as an evolving organism often feels like a dry subject. His engaging style makes it easy to envision not just the complex series of naval battles, (he educates readers on how and why a land battle would have been a completely different story), but also the psychology of the individuals calling the shots. The themes of treachery and survival are evident and one closes this book feeling competent that they understand this turning point in Ancient History.

The past, it is said, is a different country. It is also settled, and something we take for granted. It is easy to forget that for the women and men living in that foreign clime, it was contemporary times, and there was nothing settled about it. So it is with major events such as the Battle of Actium.

If the Battle of Actium had gone the other way, who knows in our many ways our contemporary present might be different? This book covers the lead up to the decisive battle, and the aftermath. With Octavian on one side, and Marc Antony and Cleopatra on the other, this huge naval battle was bound to be a hinge of history.

Barry Strauss,is an excellent historian and author. The riveting story and his readable prose make a wonderful combination. I thought I was familiar with the period, but I learned a lot from this book. Enjoyable to read, informative, and thought provoking, what more could one ask?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

If you like history and specifically are interested in the Romans, this book is for you! This book reads like a history book; it is dense. That being said, it is a relatively easy and engaging read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of The War That Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium. This riveting nonfiction book depicts the build up and fall out of one of the largest naval battles in the ancient world. It’s no exaggeration to say that events at Actium determined the future of the Roman Empire and shaped the Western world as we know it today.

I’ve studied a bit about Cleopatra and the Roman Empire, but I knew very little about the era described in this book. Barry Strauss has done an amazing job of portraying Cleopatra, Antony, and Octavian as real human beings. I was especially impressed that he avoided the usual sexist stereotypes around Cleopatra and instead showed her as the intelligent, powerful political entity she really was.

In contrast to many depictions of this event, Barry Strauss does not portray the outcome of the war as a foregone conclusion. It could very easily have gone the other way and Strauss paints an evocative picture of an empire hung in the balance.

The author had no small challenge in writing this book as the sources are either missing or incredibly biased. He uses what he calls “informed speculation” to reconstruct events. Although of course we can’t really know what happened, I find his theories very solid and believable. It also invites the reader to put themselves in Octavian, Antony, and Cleopatra’s shoes and try to get a sense of their motivations.

Refreshingly, Octavia (Octavian’s sister and Antony’s wife) is also given due consideration as a political player rather than just the jilted wife or wronged sister. The entire Roman/Eastern world is fleshed out in all its connections, alliances, backstabbings, and betrayals. Truly, modern soap operas pale in comparison to the drama of this era!

I had so many misconceptions about Antony and Cleopatra’s last stand thanks to Octavian’s long-lasting propaganda so I was fascinated to read Strauss’ take on what really happened. I found it entertaining, well-written, and thought-provoking. A fabulous piece of nonfiction that I’m glad I picked up!

The Battle of Actium and the events leading up to it are dense and twisted amongst many key players and places in history. Strauss - as usual - does an excellent job piecing together the wide swath of information about all of those people and places without sacrificing details and keeping it easy to read and follow without ‘dumbing’ it down.

This book is thoroughly well researched and no matter how well you think you may know your Roman history everyone will find many new and interesting facts within. Strauss does the readers a favor by pulling from many varied sources really bringing together a solid imagery of what it was like during the time of the battle.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the chance to read an early copy of this for review!

Dr. Barry Strauss Professor of the Classics at Cornell University adds to the story of how Rome expanded her empire. The mythos of Cleopatra, Marc Antony, and the romance portrayed by Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. This is not that, Strauss is both an eminent historian as well as an excellent writer able to convey history as well as do it in an enjoyable fashion.

I knew almost nothing about the Battle of Actium before reading this book so this was excellent in filling in some major blanks in my knowledge of ancient Rome. Strauss does a good job of analyzing why anyone interested in ancient Rome should be interested in Actium and the lead-up to Actium and why this period in history is so important- why it could, in fact, have had major world shattering changes had Antony and Cleopatra won the battle (and the war) instead of Octavian and Rome. Strauss also analyzes source material and encourages readers to do the same, which always means we will know more about Rome and see Rome and Octavian in a more positive light since the victors write the histories.
I wasn't always happy with Strauss' writing style- it was often repetitive enough that I wasn't sure if he wasn't paying attention or he thought the reader wasn't paying attention. Better and tighter editing would definitely have made this a better written book.

Overall this is a well-researched history on a time period and people we are more likely to "know" through Hollywood than history. I was glad to read a book that put Antony, Cleopatra, and Alexandria into such solid historical context.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book was well written and an engaging read. It covers the interplay over time between Antony, Cleopatra and Octavian that led to the war at Actium. I learned some new details about that time period and I enjoyed the fact that Cleopatra was an astute politician which is rarely presented when discussing her. This book is much more than just the War between Antony and Cleopatra versus Octavian. I recommend this to anyone who has an interest in this time period.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.

The history of a war is usually written by the victors, especially the further back in time it happened. Author Barry Strauss covers the events prior to the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. and the interesting people of the time period prior to Caesar's assassination until the battle, and shortly afterward. He presents the facts that are generally agreed on, but he is clear about the bias of the ancient writers when it appears obvious. The betrayals of people are brutal, especially for Marcus Antonius, but Octavian had a few betrayals too. Both sides were liars in their propaganda campaigns just like today actually. Cleopatra still remains mysterious, and I wish archaeologists would find her tomb or a stash of papyrus that would show a fairer side of her story. Although Marcus Antonius had more battle experience than Octavian, he seems to have really blundered at Actium, one of the largest naval battles of the ancient world, on the Ionian Sea and the Mediterranean. Sea. Marcus Agrippa, the admir.al of Octavian's forces was the real reason Octavian won and Marcus Antonius lost so many men and ships. Though he and Cleopatra broke away and prolonged the war, Alexandria did not become the center of a new, different empire. Professor Strauss includes notes on the sources used and writes for the layperson which I also enjoyed in his "The Death of Caesar: The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination." Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

The War That Made the Roman Empire was an enjoyable read. I learned a number of new things, and I liked the narration. However while the book was an enjoyable read, I didn’t find the event the book was about was big or grand enough to justify a whole book. I think if other events and battles were included, it would make more sense and feel more complete than focusing on just the one war.

I have read the 10 Caesars by Strauss before this title and was looking forward to his take on the disintegration of the Republican ideals of Rome into what became the Empire. This was an excellent format for this subject. Strauss dissects the battles, political intrigues, and made connections from what began with Julius Gaius Caesar and ended with his nephew Octavian or Augustus Caesar. The Kindle format was also well done and the maps and figures were all layed out nicely. No glitches or issue.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy of this new history of the ancient world.

Barry Strauss professor of history and classics at Cornell University has written in his book The War That Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium about Rome in the time following the assassination of Julius Caesar. Among the fighting, arguing, feuding and retribution that followed two men, Mark Antony and Octavian, Caesar's heir and later to be known as Augustus gained power and prestige and soon these individuals would have to clash. And they did so at the Battle of Actium.

Professor Strauss does a wonderful job describing both the time and the places, giving a concise history of the events leading to these two men facing off. Their are many figures in this history and all of them are described clearly, with plenty of backstory to fill in their place in history. The writing never bogs down dn flows well. Points are made, and made very clearly.

What is most interesting is that unlike some histories the role of women are not downplayed or ignore. Cleopatra, Mark Antony's ally and love, is treated as a true politician, an Elizabeth I of her day. A skilled leader who removed problem siblings and ruled a diverse people in difficult times, both war and peace, and did so will a large amount of good faith and love from her people. Also Octavia, sister of Octavain, and wife of Mark Antony is given far more political savvy and shown to have her own machinations, far more than other historians wrote, or probably suspected.

A very well written history of a difficult time for Rome, a time where many possible outcomes could have occurred. Professor Strauss has done a very good job of researching and writing this book which is far more readable than one expects of a book on ancient history. Recommended for not only classics scholars, but for people who enjoy very good, very interesting history books.

Rome, at the death of Julius Caesar, was no stranger to internal war. A functioning, healthy republic had long vanished, torn in pieces by the rivaling ambition of men like Sulla and Marius. Caesar was part of that destructive tradition, having sparred with Pompey, and for his part in corrupting the Republic into a dictatorship he was justly killed. In the aftermath, another pair of men took up arms against the other – but this time, the conflict would end in a lasting, if not eternal, peace. In The War that Made the Roman Empire, author Barry Strauss invites readers to consider the political manipulations and military campaigns that followed when two of Caesar’s own, his nephew Octavian and the late dictator’s longtime lieutenant Mark Anthony, rivaled for power.

How did a young man with so little experience as Octavian overcome a seasoned and often victorious military leader like Mark Anthony, who had the resources of wealthy Egypt at his disposal, and the political cunning of Cleopatra herself, the wife of one Caesar and the mother of another, who seemed destined to become the Queen of a Mediterranean empire? Strauss suggests that while a relative stranger to the arena of military operations, Octavian’s political instincts allowed him to turn Cleopatra’s alliance with Mark Anthony into a liability; this, coupled with Anthony’s own indecisiveness on the battlefield, led to total triumph for the young Caesar, and death for Anthony, Cleopatra, and little Caesarion – the last of the Pharaohs. Octavian carefully presented his war not as a political struggle against Mark Anthony, but a war against a foreign power – namely, Egypt, whose decadent queen had aspirations for further aggrandizing herself through usurpation of Rome. Perhaps more importantly, however, was Octavian’s ready use of Marcus Agrippa, one of Caesar’s veterans who would be to Octavian more valuable than a right hand. Agrippa was equally accomplished on land and sea, and forced Mark Anthony to pay dearly for every misstep.

The decisive battle was fought off the western shores of Greece, but the story would not end until Octavian had arrived in Alexandria, confronting the royal couple who pretended at being deities. Strauss suggests that the Roman Empire was born there, in Alexander’s city on the Nile delta. The War that Made the Roman Empire succeeds both as story and history; as story, it could scarcely fail to keep a reader’s attention, given the towering personalities here and the stakes of their context. The political wrangling was a little wearisome, but the careful analysis of the battle was far more compelling. Strauss’s careful use of multiple sources to figure out the truth as best he can – readily admitting when things are too cloudy, or too reliant on a biased source like Octavian’s own memoir – and presenting multiple possibilities when there’s no clear idea of the truth. We know nothing of how Octavian and Agrippa took the city of Menthone in Anthony’s rear, for instance, a pivotal strike that interrupted the logical flow from Egypt and forced Anthony’s army into starvation; we only know that the city was taken. Strauss details several possible strategies Agrippa and Octavian might have pursued. This is as comprehensive a look at one of the pivotal battles of western history as can be imagined, and recommends itself to students of Roman history.

As a fan of Barry Strauss' previous work (The Death of Caesar, Ten Caesars, etc.) I was excited to read this book, and it did not disappoint! Strauss covers not only the Battle of Actium, but the wars and political maneuverings that led to Octavian's victory over Antony.

One of the struggles with writing ancient history is the lack of sources, and Strauss, as in all his work, clues the reader in about the process for evaluating sources, how trustworthy they are, etc. He is also very upfront in saying that there are certain things we can't know, things we likely won't ever know, and what probably happened in his estimation. On one hand, this is great, because it treats the reader like an adult and someone capable of discerning for themselves. However, it can sometimes make entire passages feel like a guessing game, where Strauss is engaged in probablys and mights and maybes. This is something that plagues all ancient history, and Toby Wilkinson, in his Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt, mentions in his introduction that everything is basically a well-informed guess, and different scholars have different opinions. So it goes here.

Overall a fast-moving, excellent history of an important time that is often glazed over in other histories of the period.

This was a terrific account of one of the most pivotal periods in Roman history. Written in a fluent, easy to read style, the book gives depth and dimension to the three protagonists and provides an interesting, not often given perspective of the events from Antony and Cleopatra’s viewpoint. This is highly recommended to anyone with an interest in Roman history.

I've long enjoyed Strauss' popular classics works, for their diverse sourcing (grave epithets, maritime archaeology, Greek comedies) and for his ability to describe people and events with easy familiarity, although always showing his work--how much weight to give propaganda on each side, and picking apart flattery from rumors and screeds. The result in this volume is a reappraisal of Actium, not as a step by Octavian towards the obvious and inevitable victory of west over east, but as a pivotal event for the Mediterranean world, in which many of Antony and Cleopatra's decision make sense within the context of eastern client monarchs, the Parthians and local resources. Strauss has a particular sensitivity to the role of Cleopatra and Octavia (as well as Fulvia, Atia and other powerful women), and offers each person's strengths and weaknesses as a politician, strategist and leader. This is a rich and compelling narrative, with the best lesson being to try to find (and keep) yourself an Agrippa.

This is a readable account of a battle that affects us all more than we know and the remarkable people involved in it. And it has enough background to be useful for general history collections needing some more ancient Roman history.