Just spent the last 5 hours reading about Julius Caesar thanks to a particular frontpage post. Can anyone recommend any books that explore his life and times in greater detail?

by JohnlillyEccoofficer

Saw a front page post about Julius Caesar and have spent the last several hours absorbing everything I could find on the guy.

I think it would be a good use of my time to dive into a full book on his life and/or particular events. I keep coming upon many myths about him and I am aware that history is written by the victors but I would still like to know what truth is behind such an insane life and mind.

Keep in mind I am approaching this from completely square one. Soooo not trying to make excuses but was educated in a strict home school/church environment that took a narcissistic approach towards history. Example: Only education about Africa I received was through stories about missionaries. Learned about China through being told about Gladys Aylward http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladys_Aylward

I once read the book "The Young Carthaginian: A Story of The Times of Hannibal" by G. A. Henty, but thats as close to Rome as my education reached. I am aware of some actual history about Rome but it is mostly background information I picked up while being taught about the persecution of Christians and Romes relationships with the churches.

Thank you in advance everyone. I am still working my way through the last several things you reccomended to me last time I asked something. Particularly enjoyed: A Chemical History of a Candle (finished last month), A Short History of Nearly Everything (just finished my third reading).

~ J

Caesar himself wrote some works about his times, including his Commentaries on the War in Gaul and his Commentary on the Civil Wars. There are also the works of Cicero, who was a contemporary of Caesar's. You should be able to pick most of those up at any major bookstore's history section.

Suetonius and Plutarch both wrote biographies of him, too.

I don't know that you're interested in historical fiction (and I apologize if this is outside the realm of answers in this sub), but there is a well-researched series called the Great Men of Rome that covers the times leading up to and immediately following him. It's written by Colleen McCullough. I don't believe the Julius Caesar we think of is born until the second or third book.