Thursday, March 24, 2011

Cleopatra: A Life - Stacy Schiff

Title: Cleopatra: A Life
Author: Stacy Schiff
Pages: 380
Published: 2010
Genre: Non-fiction, History, Biography
Rating: 3.5/5

Her life spanned fewer than 40 years, but she was the last Egyptian pharaoh and one of the most influential women of the age. She married twice, each time to a brother; she poisoned one and waged a war against the other. To this day, the life of Cleopatra VII (69-30 B.C.) intrigues us. This adept biography by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff tells us why it should. The true story of the woman behind the myth. (via Goodreads)


Thoughts:  I picked up this book due to the fact that a lot of people were reading this book and that it had been recommended by a number of sources. It was an interesting read and I got more out of what the political world was like during her time. It was interesting to see how she was a very manipulative individual and pretty much got what she wanted, at least until her demise. I really liked how the author allowed the reader to understand that it wasn't just her sexuality that got her power, it was also that she understood how the political machine worked in her time and how that politics hasn't really changed.


4535 / 15000 pages. 30% done!

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What Strange Paradise - Omar El Akkad

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