The most successful of his novels, at least in terms of sales, have been a series of reconstructed autobiographies or biographies of roman. Allan massie is the awardwinning author of many novels, including his roman quartet. I need input on allan massie s roman novels sign in to follow this. Allan massies roman emperor and nearly emperor novels offer us a glimpse of the alltoofrail humans behind the marble statues and history books that represent what. Allan massies latest bordeaux novel is another fine vintage. Allan massie is currently considered a single author. He has lived in the scottish borders for the last 25 years, and now lives in selkirk. Allan massie is a prolific scottish novelist, an historian and literary editor, as well as a lively and controversial journalist for various newspapers in both scotland and england. In 2002 i alienated influential people by attacking the edinburgh book festival, the first and now biggest of several such hoolies which descend on scots towns melrose, wigtown, etc. Colleen mccullough, the first man in rome 1990, the grass crown 1992, fortunes favorites 1993, historical novels about republican rome. Retelling the story of caesar in a glamorous, sexually charged light, the third of the author s roman novels depicts the downfall of a charismatic showman desperate. As a journalist and political commentator he embraces the politics of the conservative new right.
Today the crime novelist has one advantage denied to writers of straight or literary novels. Allan massie is the awardwinning author of twentyfive novels, including the roman series antony, augustus, tiberius, caesar, neros heirs and caligula, as well as several works of nonfiction. Caesar is a 1993 historical novel by scottish writer allan massie, the third in the author s series of novels about the early roman emperors. Allan massie allan massie is the awardwinning author of many novels, including his roman quartet antony, augustus, tiberius and caesar. Allan massie is the awardwinning author of many novels, including his roman quartet antony, augustus, tiberius and caesar. I myself have written six roman novels, offering a fictionalised history of rome from julius caesar to the flavian emperors. Two novels set in imperial rome augustus, by allan massie, is the supposed autobiography of julius caesars nephew and heir, octavius, first roman emperor. Allan massie has 67 books on goodreads with 9533 ratings. Also a journalist and critic of fiction, he writes regularly for the scotsman, sunday times scotland and the scottish daily mail and contributes to. Like its predecessor augustus, it is written as a memoir towards the end of the old emperors life. Allan massie allan massie is the awardwinning author of many novels, including his roman quartet. Allan massie s roman emperor and nearly emperor novels offer us a glimpse of the alltoofrail humans behind the marble statues and history books that represent what we know about these historical movers and shakers.
How close it is to the historical events the book is, i have insufficient knowledge to give an opinion. I believed that bit of fiction for a short time after i had read it. Allan massie is the awardwinning author of many novels, including his roman quartet, antony, augustus, tiberius and caesaras as well as several works of nonfiction, most recently the royal stuarts. Allan massie s most popular book is the royal stuarts. A question of loyalties 1989, the sins of the father 1991 and shadows of empire 1997. He lives in the scottish borders and writes for the daily telegraph and the scotsman. Apart from publishing singles, allan massie is also the author of various trilogies and book series many of which include historical novels such as caesar, caligula, tiberius and many others. Below is a list of allan massie s books in order of when they were originally published. Unlike them he can range over all levels of society, for crime can easily.
Beyond his impressive weekly word count for the press, massie has more than 20 novels behind him, notably his acclaimed loose trilogy set in mid20thcentury europe, a question of loyalties, the. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Novels set in ancient greece and rome a leading uk. Colin waters spoke to allan massie about war, nationalism, and the dangers of idealism. The royal stuarts by allan massie overdrive rakuten. I embarked on my roman novels originally intending to write just one, about augustus only after i had published a book of biographical essays on the first 12 caesars, intended as a companion volume to suetonius. Another writer of some literary merit who has attempted fiction based on the roman emperor is allan massie. Allan massie project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Augustus married three times and his successors were the son tiberius, great grandson and grandson of his third wife, livia. In both he finds something of the loneliness of power. A question of loyalties by allan massie henrys world of. He lives in the scottish borders and writes for the daily telegraph, scotsman and for the spectator, where he has a regular column.
Caesar is the third in allan massies quartet of roman novels, a brilliant a. In popular imagination the very names make a litany of depravity and crime. It is the second in the series of novels massie wrote about the early roman emperors. Drawing on the accounts of historians past and present, novels and plays, allan massie tells the familys full story, from the salt marshes of brittany to the thrones of scotland and england, and then eventual exile. The author makes us believe that the story is based on new writings recently found by archaeologists. Allan massie occupies a curious place in scottish letters.
Alan massies roman novels are all first rate, this is the fourth that i have read. Buy allan massie ebooks to read online or download in pdf or epub on your pc, tablet or mobile device. How close it is to the historical events the book is, i. Allan massie, caesar ny 1994, published in britain 1993 by hodder and stoughton, about julius caesar. Allan was educated at glenalmond and trinity college, cambridge. Successful historical fiction with margaret mcgoverne a. It seems extraordinary that a novel of such power and ambition didnt trouble the booker judges that year. When i was younger i thought eagle of the ninth by rosemary sutcliff was fantastic, but.
Allan massie made his debut as a published author in 1978 with the novel change and decay in all around i see. Caligula 2004, a further novel in the sequence, tells the story of the infamous, mad roman emperor. Allan massie is the awardwinning author of many novels, including his roman quartet, antony, augustus, tiberius and caesar, as well as several works of nonfiction. Sep 01, 2004 alan massies roman novels are all first rate, this is the fourth that i have read. Augustus by allan massie sceptre, 1987 notes western literature abounds in references, allusions to the myths, legends and historical events of greece and rome. Since 2006 he has been busy with the warrior of rome novels that has ballista a roman army officer as the lead. Novels about roman emperors historical fiction librarything. Allan massie biography london, novel, political, and. There have also been roman novels in other european languages, notably the death of virgil by hermann broch and marguerite yourcenars memoirs of hadrian perhaps the finest of all.
Tiberius massie novel tiberius is a 1991 historical novel by scottish writer allan massie, about the roman emperor tiberius. Clearly the author s prestanding interest in subject and period is the first reason for the choice. For emperors with more than one novel in which they are protagonists, i would like to know the best one. Allan massie s caesar is narrated by the imperators protege, the other brutus. Allan massie first came to prominence in the 1980s, at the same time as other scottish novelists such as james kelman and alasdair gray. Allan massie was born on 19 october 1938 in singapore, and was educated at trinity.
I need input on allan massies roman novels libri unrv. Tiberius is a 1991 historical novel by scottish writer allan massie, about the roman emperor tiberius. Roman history through a hundred novels historical novel society. The author cleverly inserts his narrator at the center of roman intrigue by assigning him the overextended clodia as a lover and the undistinguished but sly young octavian as a catamite. Published anonymously in 1814 as scotts first venture into prose fiction, it is often regarded as one of the first historical novels in the western tradition. Tiberius, caligula, claudius, nero, it is one of the great achievements of allan massies roman novels caligula is the sixth in a sequence that covers a period from 49 bc to 70 ad that he restores to these monstrous rulers their full due of human complexity. Currently, allan massie resides in scotland with his spouse. The first of a planned historical trilogy is set in the last days of the roman empire as massie tiberius, 1993, etc.
The novels narrator, a roman general languishing in captivity among the gauls, muses over the events that have brought down his career. Allan massie is a scottish author of historical fiction, political thrillers, contemporary fiction novels, and nonfiction books. Allan massie on the year ahead in books unquestionably the highlight of the coming year is polygons new edition of muriel sparks novels, all 22 of them. Alan massie s roman novels are all first rate, this is the fourth that i have read.
Narrated partly by antony himself as he stands on the verge of ruin, and partly by his greek secretary critias, the novel charts antonys fortunes since the murder of julius caeser. Allan massies latest bordeaux novel is another fine. Caesar is the third in allan massie s quartet of roman novels, a brilliant and eagerly awaited successor to tiberius, which was widely ac. I like the roman novels but a question of loyalties is in a different league and deserves to be better known. Allan massie is a prolific scottish novelist, an historian and literary editor. Unlike them he can range over all levels of society, for crime can easily breach the barriers that exist in our stratified society. Due to his contribution to literature, allan massie received the cbe award commanderoforder in the year 20. The wizard who sheds light on the dark ages telegraph. The roman novels, in a sense that wasnt too difficult because for the most part. Allan johnstone massie cbe frsl frse born 16 october 1938 is a scottish journalist, columnist, sports writer and novelist. In this third in a projected quartet of historical novels set in ancient rome, massie tiberius attempts to find new drama in the story of julius caesars murder.
Allan massie will be speaking at two events at aye write. In addition there have been many more entire plays, poems and more recently novels using such material, for example racines phaedra, keats hyperion, and. Antony by allan massie and a great selection of related books. Allan massie is also the author of a trilogy of novels about four brothers set during the second world war. So far, there are four volumes augustus, tiberius, caesar, and caligula. Allan massie historisk roman, bygget over kejser augustus erindringer. Allan massies four novels are peopled with a wellimagined cast of selfish aristocrats, germans some of them good and honourable ones, reactionaries, jews, communists, gays, spies, prostitutes, collaborators or many kinds, and policemen, most notably inspector lannes, the troubled midranking investigator who, together with his. Massie makes the emperor gaius, known as caligula bootikins human, not a particularly likable one, but human none the less. His new novel, charlemagne and roland, is the third part of a dark ages trilogy, and tells the story of europes first emperor after the fall of the roman empire.
Massie uses the roman world as suitable material with which to reconstruct the lives of these two very different men but then he goes a step further. Allan massie is the awardwinning author of many novels, including his roman quartet antony, augustus, tiberius and caesar as well as several works of nonfiction. In his career as an author, allan massie also published nonfiction books as well such as muriel spark, byron, and colette. Allan massie is a great writer and especially so with his roman series. This is the final book of the authors quartet of roman novels. Browse author series lists, sequels, pseudonyms, synopses, book covers, ratings and awards. Allan massie is the awardwinning author of many novels, including his roman quartet, antony, augustus, tiberius and caesar, as well.
This is the final book of the author s quartet of roman novels. In allan massies fictional account of the life of augustus there is a similar awareness of the way that political life is all about reacting to unpredictable realities. School, and also taught english as a second language in rome 19725. Successful historical fiction with margaret mcgoverne. Massie succeeds admirably in bringing to life the architect of imperial rome and the society that surrounded him. Allan massie is the awardwinning author of many novels, including his roman quartet, antony, augustus, tiberius and caesaras well as several works of nonfiction.
716 652 923 628 1073 44 737 994 1126 854 993 1599 335 863 1210 464 1157 523 170 219 2 234 1261 1529 1025 1591 1587 1454 870 836 329 1456 1524 857 953 744 1090 671 284 910 191 292 1327 1126 1457 1343