"Stunning. . . . Holland keeps his narrative moving at chariot-race speed." -Newsday

"This gripping narrative resurrects some of the half-forgotten personalities and events that shaped who we are. . . . It enables the reader to relive the slow, bloodstained collapse of a system, not only as a fascinating drama in its own right but as a morality tale." -Anthony Everitt, author of Cicero

"A fascinating picture of Roman city life. . . . In every aspect of this story, Holland expertly makes the Romans, so alien and yet so familiar, relevant to us." -Los Angeles Times

"Tremendously intelligent, vibrant and witty." -The Washington Times

"The crispest and most compelling account. . . . A historical thrill ride." -The Seattle Times

"Splendid. . . . Rich. . . . Holland writes history with a sense of immediacy, and with the passion and pacing of a novelist. . . . His absorbing, witty narrative captures the scope and drama of the republic and shapes its labyrinthine elements into a single continuum." -Houston Chronicle

"[A] book that really held me, in fact, obsessed me. . . . Narrative history at its best." -Ian McEwan, The Guardian, Books of the Year

"Very readable. . . . Witty, literate. . . . [It] outlines as no other story in history can the perils and misadventures that bring down democratic governments." -St. Petersburg Times

"Gripping and hugely entertaining. . . . It is a story crammed with drama and spectacle, but the real attraction of Holland's book is the wit and contemporary sensibility that he brings to his often bloody tale." -The Sunday Times (London), Top 5 History Books of the Year

"Lucid, stylish and witty, and interesting in its analysis. . . . Informative, balanced, and accessible, Holland's compelling brand of narrative history is a praiseworthy rendition of one of the most complex periods in history." -BookPage

"A lively, popularly written history. . . . Holland's book is full of memorable characters." -World

"Explosive stuff. . . . Seriously intelligent history written with élan and gusto." -BBC History Magazine

"Lively, readable, briskly paced. . . . Thoroughly grounded in the relevant source material. . . . Seamless, forward-moving. . . . Not only a gripping account of the Roman past, but an important perspective on the current American moment. . . . Rubicon succeeds brilliantly." -Claremont Review of Books

"Richly resonant. . . . Ancient history lives in this vivid chronicle." -Booklist (starred review)

"A terrific read and a remarkable piece of scholarship. As an introduction to Roman history, it is unlikely to be bettered." -Daily Mail

"Holland brings a novelist's eye to the ancient republic's collapse. . . . [He] also draws a fascinating portrait of the social life of Rome and the republic in the first century B.C. . . . Written with flair, wit and solid historical research, Rubicon is grand history and grandly entertaining." -Flint Journal

"A vivid social portrait of the Roman world." -Sunday Telegraph