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Lustrum

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Lustrum

By: Robert Harris
Narrated by: Bill Wallis
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About this listen

Rome, 63 BC. In a city on the brink of acquiring a vast empire, seven men are struggling for power. Cicero is consul, Caesar his ruthless young rival, Pompey the republic's greatest general, Crassus its richest man, Cato a political fanatic, Catilina a psychopath, Clodius an ambitious playboy.

The stories of these real historical figures - their alliances and betrayals, their cruelties and seductions, their brilliance and their crimes - are all interleaved to form this epic novel. Its narrator is Tiro, a slave who serves as confidential secretary to the wily, humane, complex Cicero. He knows all his master's secrets - a dangerous position to be in.

From the discovery of a child's mutilated body, through judicial execution and a scandalous trial, to the brutal unleashing of the Roman mob, Lustrum is a study in the timeless enticements and horrors of power.

 Biographical Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Political Thriller & Suspense Fiction Biography Suspense Rome

Critic Reviews

Harris is the master. With Lustrum, [he] has surpassed himself. It is one of the most exciting thrillers I have ever read
Harris communicates such a strong sense of imperial Rome - the book is awesomely well-informed about the minutiae of everyday life
Thoroughly engaging ... The allure of power and the perils that attend it have seldom been so brilliantly anatomised in a thriller
Harris never makes his comparisons between Rome and modern Britain explicit, but they are certainly there. And that's the principal charm of his ancient thrillers - their up-to-dateness
Magnificent ... Better than Robert Graves's Claudius novels
A read to be savoured
Wry, clever, thoughtful, with a terrific sense of timing and eye for character.

Thrillingly paced and narrated ... What grips most about Lustrum is the seriousness with which the political issues at stake are taken, and the vividness of the characterisation

Offers great insight into the psychology of political calculation
Deeply satisfying, impeccably researched and spectacularly topical ... This is a thriller to die for ... The pace never falters, and the politics are sharply relevant
All stars
Most relevant
excellent book set during such a turbulent time, rich background and well known characters. very enjoyable.

great book

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If you have any interest in the classical period of history I highly recommend this book

Outstanding book an outstanding Reader

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The story of Rome’s slide from a republic to dictatorship, through the distraction of a Senate concerned with procedural correctness becoming unaware of the rise of populist sentiment- mirrors the world of 2018. Political correctness and identity politics means nothing to a populace who can’t pay their bills and feel safe in their homes, and they’ll vote for those who will listen, not preach, to them.

And the present mirrors the past!

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An emotionally engaging panoply of characters and interactions, decency, depravity, causes and effects. I see modern politics in a new light. Respect and gratitude to the brilliance of the author, the narrator and excellent production of the audiobook.

Politics explained

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