Product Description

The story of Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile. This saga of ambition, power and passion is told in the first person, from the queen's earliest memories of her father's tenuous rule to her own reign over one of the most glittering kingdoms in the world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17252 in Books
• Published on: 1998-07-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 1152 pages

Review
Fans of the author who loved her biographies of Henry VIII and Mary Queen of Scots will find this story of Egypt's ancient queen equally engrossing. The author's impeccable research brings a long ago civilization thoroughly to life, and her portraits of Cleopatra, Ceasar and Antony are wonderful. A spellbinding book." --Barbara Taylor Bradford
"A thrilling story...[Cleopatra's] 'memoirs' are vivid and enthralling. Read them."
" --Washington Post"
"A 976 page time machine...It's as if you lived there, walked the streets and counseled the Queen throughout her turbulent life." "--Cincinatti Enquirer"
"Awash in sensuous, jewl-like detail... As if ancient frescoes had sprung alive." --Entertainment Weekly
"George is such a skilled writer the book seems built no the intimate details of the five senses" --"Memphis Commercial Appeal"
"Readers looking to be transported to another place and time will find their magic carpet here." --"Publishers Weekly"

Customer Reviews

perfect book
This book is absolutely brilliant!!!! I've read it over 3 or 4 times and I never get bored. It is amazing how Margaret can discribe all of Cleopatra's emotions on each moment of her life. Just for you to imagine how good the book is I spent 3 or 4 whole afternoons reading it and I even walked reading it! You don't just read this book, you really live it. Believe or not I really cried when Caesar and Anthony died and when she commited suicide. If you are interested on Egypt and Cleopatra or just on the time she lived in, YOU SHOULD BUY THIS BOOK.

A gem of a book read with gusto.
I have read several books consisting of over 1,000 pages like A Suitable Boy, Quincunx & The Lord of the Rings but this book has to be ranked as one of the best. I picked this book for: its price, its title - having been to Egypt in 1995 little was mentioned about Queen Cleopatra & I thought it would give me some insight. This is a well researched novel & every spare moment I had was spent reading it. The chief protagonists Cleopatra, Caesar, Marc Anthony & Octavian come alive. Will Caesar survive? Will Anthony & Cleopatra rule a vast kingdom or will it be Octavian? These are questions that keep on croping up. You have this image that all your questions will be answered (& they are) but the questions that you seek are not the ones you were after. When you finally finish the book, and you will & you'll be after more, you somehow feel that George has left things unanswered but at the very end with the authors note she answers these questions. One of the key questions that I wanted answered was, What was her colouring? Was she as beautiful as so many thought? I always thought that Cleopatra was black. As for her beauty, she had no rival!!! Although George answers these & other questions saying that, 'The Ptolemies were Macedonian Greeks' & 'Skin tone too, can vary from quite light to Mediterranean "Olive -Skinned" it's left up to the reader how they want to interpret her skin colour & her beauty. George also says that contrary to popular belief there is quite a lot known about Cleopatra but it's a pity that there are not any statues (are there any?) of this Queen, Goddess, Scholar, Warrior that in some way can give us further insight into one of the greatest & richest rulers this world has ever known. I relish the next novel that she has published.

Inspirational and Compelling untill the end
One of the best historical novels written. There are a number of different perceptions of Cleopatra, but M.George appears to have it right. Her concept of cleopatra as the of the pharo and ruler of Egypt is very effective. We also insight as to where the different concepts of Cleopatra's personality were concieved. Ultimately, this book is a detailed portrait of her life. We learn of her relationships with Julius Ceasar and Marc Anthony, her children and her tragic death. A truly wonderful and inspirational story of one of the most powerful women in the world at that time. Should be read by all.