An absolutely fascinating and fresh look at a war and a battle everyone thinks they know everything about. Fans of Roman History need to put this on their must read list!

This was a fascinating work on the Battle of Actium. World class classicist/historian Barry Strauss has done a great job of reconstructing this monumental conflict that would set the tone for the classical world for years to come. Strauss truly demonstrates how a quest for vengeance on the part of Octavian led to the creation of the Roman Empire. I would highly recommend this to fellow students of the past especially those who are still finding joy in exploring the wonders of the classical past as I do!

I have read books about the Roman Empire before. I’ve read it in many different scenarios and many different situations. I love learning about this particular part of history it’s very interesting to me. And while I have read a lot on the Roman Empire, Dr Strauss is probably my favourite so far. He has a way with words absolutely, but I loved how he talked about the wars and past events. I learnt so much from this book alone, that’s why I enjoyed it so much. The wording is absolutely stunning and you can’t expect anything less from Dr Strauss himself. 5 out of 5 stars!

I have just finished my read of "The War That Made The Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium," by Barry Strauss to be published by Simon & Schuster in the near future (my thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC for review). The book is far more than a simple recitation of events surrounding the famous sea battle of Actium, which pitted the combined fleets of Antony and Cleopatra against the naval forces of Octavian (soon to be Caesar Augustus) after the tumultuous events surrounding the assassination of Julius Caesar by his political enemies in the Roman Senate. Indeed, much of the charm of the narrative resides in its polished explication of the events leading up to the climactic battle and defeat of Antony and Cleopatra. Most interesting is the way in which the author uses modern insights to explore the use of spin and propaganda by all
of the principal combatants and the way in which their manipulation of the "media" of the time lends itself to the modern cliche of the paradigm of "fake news." I found the narrative thoroughly engaging and well documented. The author is clearly the master of his material, and I have seldom seen a more fully developed exploration of the very complex relationship between the three protagonists. I strongly recommend the text to anyone interested in a better understanding of how the Roman Republic became the Roman Imperium.