Posted on July 15, 2019 in Review of the Week
Julius Caesar and the transformation of the Roman Republic
Stevenson, Tom. Routledge, 2015
212p bibl indexes, 9781138808225 $145.00, 9781138808218 $44.95
Stevenson (Univ. of Queensland, Australia) intended his book as an introduction to the career and legacy of Julius Caesar for general readers and undergraduates, but he achieved much more. His concise, well informed review of the sources on and issues about the most famous Roman is well organized, and his review of the scholarship is excellent. Stevenson’s analysis of Caesar’s political career is on target. He rightly stresses that Caesar long pursued a conventional political career, so his sudden leap into the ranks of the leading senators in 63 BCE was both unexpected and decisive. Caesar possessed a sense of his own destiny as well as uncanny political skills that ensured his success after he brokered the First Triumvirate, the pact with Pompey and Crassus. Most judicious is Stevenson’s discussion of why Caesar precipitated the civil war in 49 BCE, and why he pursued a policy of clemency to his defeated political foes. Most convincing is that Caesar had no grand design for monarchy, so as dictator he was a most reluctant monarch. Stevenson adopts a critical revisionist approach to Caesar’s generalship, a debatable view that this reviewer does not share, but his position is well argued. This book is the best introduction to Julius Caesar for scholars and students.
Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries.
Reviewer: K. W. Harl, Tulane University
Recommendation: Essential
Subject: Social & Behavioral Sciences – History, Geography & Area Studies – Ancient History
Choice Issue: Aug 2015
This week's review provides a historical overview of LGBTQ+ picture books, analyzing how LGBTQ+ individuals have been depicted over time and how children's books with LGBTQ+ themes can transform society.
Posted on in Review of the Week
Making a case for substantial prison reform, this week's review examines the lack of accountability American county and local jail systems take for the avoidable deaths of detainees.
Posted on in Review of the Week
To commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month, this week's review analyzes the community-building and activist practices Mexican and Puerto Rican migrants employed in 20th-century Michigan.
Posted on in Review of the Week
This week's review offers a roadmap for teaching contemporary US history, providing instructors with tips to tackle recent divisive topics and engage students with primary sources.
Posted on in Review of the Week