Description
She was the last ruler of the Macedonian dynasty of Ptolemies who had ruled Egypt for three centuries. Highly educated (she was the only one of the Ptolemies to read and speak ancient Egyptian as well as the court Greek) and very clever (her famous liaisons with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony were as much to do with politics as the heart), she steered her kingdom through impossibly taxing internal problems and railed against greedy Roman imperialism. Stripping away preconceptions as old as her Roman enemies, Joyce Tyldesley uses all her skills as an Egyptologist to give us this magnificent biography.
The Romans regarded her as 'fatale monstrum', a tyrant to be crushed. Pascal said the shape of her nose changed the history of the world. Shakespeare and Tiepolo (and Elizabeth Taylor) portrayed her as an icon of tragic beauty. But who was Cleopatra, really?
About the Author
Joyce Tyldesley's books include acclaimed biographies of Rameses the Great, and the Queens Hatchepsut and Nefertiti, and of Egypt: How a Lost Civilization was Rediscovered, which accompanied a major BBC television series. They have been published all over the world. She lives in Bolton, Lancashire.
Reviews
Tyldesley's strength has always been her storytelling, and here she is on top form. * Sunday Telegraph *
This excellent biography scores with a wealth of splendid detail. -- Christopher Hirst * Independent *
Magnificent ... strips away preconceptions to provide a rich, absorbing picture of a country and its Egyptian Queen. * Belfast Telegraph *
A very readable account of the life of Cleopatra VII, and one that goes some way to redress the way in which she is often viewed ... Intriguing insights into life and society in the Egypt of the Ptolemies. * THES *
4 Stars: [A] sympathetic biography...she is able to place Cleopatra securely in Egyptian culture and history. * Mail on Sunday *
A lively and informative history...The book is a treasure trove of facts and figures... -- Toby Clements * Daily Telegraph *
Book Information
ISBN 9781861979018
Author Joyce Tyldesley
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Profile Books Ltd
Publisher Profile Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 220g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 22mm
The Romans regarded her as 'fatale monstrum', a tyrant to be crushed. Pascal said the shape of her nose changed the history of the world. Shakespeare and Tiepolo (and Elizabeth Taylor) portrayed her as an icon of tragic beauty. But who was Cleopatra, really?
About the Author
Joyce Tyldesley's books include acclaimed biographies of Rameses the Great, and the Queens Hatchepsut and Nefertiti, and of Egypt: How a Lost Civilization was Rediscovered, which accompanied a major BBC television series. They have been published all over the world. She lives in Bolton, Lancashire.
Reviews
Tyldesley's strength has always been her storytelling, and here she is on top form. * Sunday Telegraph *
This excellent biography scores with a wealth of splendid detail. -- Christopher Hirst * Independent *
Magnificent ... strips away preconceptions to provide a rich, absorbing picture of a country and its Egyptian Queen. * Belfast Telegraph *
A very readable account of the life of Cleopatra VII, and one that goes some way to redress the way in which she is often viewed ... Intriguing insights into life and society in the Egypt of the Ptolemies. * THES *
4 Stars: [A] sympathetic biography...she is able to place Cleopatra securely in Egyptian culture and history. * Mail on Sunday *
A lively and informative history...The book is a treasure trove of facts and figures... -- Toby Clements * Daily Telegraph *
Book Information
ISBN 9781861979018
Author Joyce Tyldesley
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Profile Books Ltd
Publisher Profile Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 220g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 22mm
