I, Claudius - (Vintage International) by Robert Graves (Paperback)

About the Book

The emperor Claudius tells of his life during the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula and the events that led to his rise to power in a classic novel reconstructing ancient Rome.

Book Synopsis

A modern classic of historical fiction written in the form of Claudius's autobiography.

Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus lived from 10 B.C. to 54 A.D. Despised as a weakling and dismissed as an idiot because of his physical infirmities, Claudius survived the intrigues and poisonings that marked the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, and the mad Caligula to become emperor of Rome in 41 A.D. The first part of Robert Graves's two-part account of the life of Tiberius Claudius, I, Claudius stands as a landmark historical novel of the 20th century from one of its great writers.

Review Quotes

"One of the really remarkable books of our day, a novel of learning and imagination, fortunately conceived and brilliantly executed." --The New York Times

"Claudius unforgettably describes his imperial predecessors, famous and infamous, in Robert Graves's glorious evocation of decadent Ancient Rome." --Malcolm Burgess, The Guardian

About the Author

ROBERT GRAVES (1895-1985) was a poet, novelist, and critic. His first volume of poems, Over the Brazier (1916), reflects his experiences in the trenches, and was followed by many works of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction. He is best known for his novel, I, Claudius (1934), which won the Hawthornden and James Tait Black Memorial prizes, and for his influential The White Goddess (1948).