Publisher Description

'Williams has fashioned an always engaging, psychologically convincing work of fiction-a consistent and well-realized portrait' The New YorkerBy the author of Stoner, the surprise international bestsellerAfter the brutal murder of his great-uncle, Julius Caesar, Octavian, a shy and scholarly youth of nineteen, suddenly finds himself heir to the vast power of Rome. He is destined, despite vicious power struggles, bloody wars and family strife, to transform his realm and become the greatest ruler the western world had ever seen- Augustus Caesar, the first Roman Emperor.Building on impeccable research, John Williams brings the legendary figure of Augustus vividly to life, and invests his characters with such profound humanity that we enter completely into the heat and danger of their lives and times.

Notes

Historical fiction about the man who became the first emperor of Rome.

Back Cover

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY JOHN MCGAHERN 'Unreasonably neglected, John William's novels Stoner and Augustus are held to the light and shown to shine' Scotsman After the brutal murder of his great-uncle Julius Caesar, Octavian, a shy and scholarly youth of nineteen, suddenly finds himself heir to the vast power Rome. He is destined, despite vicious power struggles, bloody wars and family strife, to transform his realm and become the greatest ruler the western world had ever seen: Augustus Caesar, the first Roman Emperor. Building on impeccable research, John Williams brings the legendary figure of Augustus vividly to life, and invests his characters with such profound humanity that we enter completely into the heat and danger of their lives and times. 'The finest historical novel ever written by an American' Washington Post

Flap

BY THE AUTHOR OF STONER, THE SURPRISE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER: Colum McCann once called Stoner one of the great forgotten novels of the past century, but it seems it is forgotten no longer - in 2013 translations of Stoner began appearing on bestseller lists across Europe. Forty-eight years after its first, quiet publication in the US, Stoner is finally finding the wide and devoted readership it deserves. Have you read it yet? 'A beautiful, sad, utterly convincing account of an entire life... I'm amazed a novel this good escaped general attention for so long' Ian McEwan 'A terrific novel of echoing sadness' Julian Barnes ' Stoner is a brilliant, beautiful, inexorably sad, wise, and elegant novel' Nick Hornby, The Believer 'I have read few novels as deep and as clear as John Williams' Stoner. It deserves to be called a quiet classic of American literature' Chad Harbach, author of The Art of Fielding 'So beautifully paced and cadenced that it deserves the status of classic' Colum McCann, Guardian 'A beautiful and moving novel, as sweeping, intimate and mysterious as life itself' Geoff Dyer

Author Biography

John Williams was an author, editor and professor. Born in 1922 in Texas, he served in the United States Army Air Force from 1942 to 1945 in China, Burma and India. His first novel, Nothing But the Night, was published in 1948. After receiving his PhD in 1954, Williams returned to the University of Denver where he first studied to teach literature and creative writing for thirty years. It was during this time that he wrote the novels Butcher's Crossing (1960) and Stoner (1965). His last novel, Augustus, won the National Book Award in 1973. John Williams died in Arkansas in 1994.

Review

Weir's sympathetic and detailed biography reassesses the life of a woman whose role in public life…has been underrated by historians * New Statesman *
The finest historical novel ever written by an American * Washington Post *
It would be easy to over-praise this novel; but there does not seem any adequate reason why this temptation should be resisted * Economist *
A novel of extraordinary range, yet of extraordinary minuteness, that manages never to sacrifice one quality for the other * Financial Times *
Williams has fashioned an always engaging, psychologically convincing work of fiction - a consistent and well-realized portrait * New Yorker *

Promotional

'Williams has fashioned an always engaging, psychologically convincing work of fiction-a consistent and well-realized portrait' The New Yorker

Kirkus UK Review

30 years after its first British publication in 1973, it's a pleasure to welcome back this masterful work. Lovers of high-quality literature should be delighted to see the reissue of this, Williams's third and last novel, which was also his most successful and highly acclaimed, winning the National Book Award in 1973. It has reappeared several times in the intervening years, and this edition features an eloquent introduction from John McGahern, who seems only too glad to take the chance to praise the work of 'a remarkable writer working at the very height of his powers'. The premise is simple enough. Williams takes the life of Octavius - a young man who is destined to become the first Roman emperor when his great-uncle, Julius Caesar, dies - and embellishes his tale with a combination of fictional letters, dispatches and memoirs. Thanks to a Rockefeller grant received during his time at Oxford, Williams was given the opportunity to travel to Italy to put in some first-hand research, and the story clearly benefits from this. The Roman Empire's days of glory fairly leap from the pages. Whether in the visceral brutality of the land and naval battles or the lavish lifestyle enjoyed by those who ruled its vast expanse, it's all very much the stuff of epics. And the characters are equally realistic, the mishaps and good fortune of their lives drawing the reader into their innermost thoughts. The skill with which Williams portrays the subterfuge and ruthless machinations of those hungry for power really does make you feel as if you're there. A classic novel. (Kirkus UK)

Review Text

Weir's sympathetic and detailed biography reassesses the life of a woman whose role in public life...has been underrated by historians

Review Quote

Weir's sympathetic and detailed biography reassesses the life of a woman whose role in public life...has been underrated by historians

Promotional "Headline"

'Williams has fashioned an always engaging, psychologically convincing work of fiction-a consistent and well-realized portrait' The New Yorker

Details