Josiah Osgood is professor and chair of classics at Georgetown University and the author of many books, including Rome and the Making of a World State, 150 BCE-20 BCE. He lives in Washington, DC.
How to Be A Bad Emperor deftly demonstrates what tendencies make a poor leader and exposes fatal character flaws along with a good dose of humour. It's a rollicking, funny, and educational eyeopener on Roman leadership, and a great introduction for newcomers to Suetonius' work. A must-read for anyone interested in Roman History. ---Sandra Alvarez, Ancient History Magazine [How to Be a Bad Emperor is] a look at some of the worst emperors from history and how they failed. I am a big believer in learning from cautionary tales, and while of course many of the stories from ancient Rome are extreme, there is plenty to take note of here. ---Ryan Holiday, Reading List Newsletter A gleeful new compendium of dastardly highlights from Suetonius' The Lives of Caesars . . . Horribly fascinating. * Minerva *