Preview
  • Cleopatra

  • The Queen Who Challenged Rome and Conquered Eternity
  • By: Alberto Angela
  • Narrated by: Derek Perkins
  • Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (21 ratings)

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Cleopatra

By: Alberto Angela
Narrated by: Derek Perkins
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Publisher's summary

One of Italy’s most revered cultural figures reconstructs the extraordinary life of the legendary Cleopatra at the height of her power in this epic story of passion, intrigue, betrayal, and war.

Our world today would not be the same without Cleopatra. While she is one of the most famous figures in history, the legendary Egyptian queen remains, in many ways, an enigma. In this mesmerizing history, Alberto Angela offers a fresh and dynamic portrait of this extraordinary ruler, revealing a strikingly modern woman born in an ancient era and skilled in the art of diplomacy and war, who would conquer the heart of a general - Marc Antony - and Rome itself.

Cleopatra focuses on a 20-year period that marked a sweeping change in Roman history, beginning with the assassination of Julius Caesar that led to the end of the Republic, and ending with the suicides of Antony and Cleopatra and the birth of the Augustan Empire. Angela brings the people, stories, customs, and traditions of this fascinating period alive as he transports us to the chaotic streets of the capital of the ancient world, the exotic port of Alexandria in Egypt, and to the bloody battlefields where an empire was won and lost.

Meticulously researched and rich with vivid detail, this sweeping history, reminiscent of the works of Simon Schama, Mary Beard’s SPQR, and Tom Holland’s Rubicon, recreates this remarkable era and the woman at its turbulent center.

Translated from the Italian by Katherine Gregor

“[Cleopatra] combines scholarship with novelistic detail and character depth...[Alberto Angela] effectively draws on previous scholarship, wading through legend and myth to get at the truth of what actually occurred... a character-rich historical biography.” (Kirkus)

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Alberto Angela (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History
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What listeners say about Cleopatra

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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderfully written and read.

I have always wanted to have a better understanding of Cleopatra and this was the perfect place to begin. The author made very clear of there were no facts and only conclusions in specific situations. Excellent read/listen.

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    3 out of 5 stars

Sooooo good

I love how the author blends rigorous history with vivid imaginative scenes. This is my new favorite way to learn history. I wish I knew more books like this one.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Riveting from start to finish

Beautifully written and tells you everything about Cleopatra that is known. I do hope that they find her mausoleum/grave one day. The narrator did an Excellent job. Extremely easy to listen to. If you’re fascinated by Ancient Egypt and/or Rome, you’re going to really enjoy this. Very difficult to read about her 4 children and the way they were used as political pawns because of their politically and historically important DNA. ONLY ONE survived to adulthood. Not terribly unusual for the time they lived when the age people lived to were far less than they are today. If only the amazing buildings of Ancient Alexandria still stood today.

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    1 out of 5 stars
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Not Worth The Time

more time devoted to the Roman men than anything else. and poorly written at that. very disappointing

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    1 out of 5 stars

This should be listed under the historical romance category not history.

If you want to listen to an old white man narrate, a sometimes soft-core, steamy, story of a femme fatale, then this is the book for you. If you would like to experience a historical narrative of one of the most powerful women in the history of the world, seek else where. I didn’t even bother to finish it 3/4 of the way through because it was so terrible.

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