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Rome's Last Citizen

Life and Legacy of Cato, Mortal Enemy of Caesar

Rob Goodman (AUTHOR) Jimmy Soni

$29.99

Paperback

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English
Griffin
01 July 2014
Marcus Porcius Cato: aristocrat who walked barefoot and slept on the ground with his troops, political heavyweight who cultivated the image of a Stoic philosopher, a hard-nosed defender of tradition who presented himself as a man out of the sacred Roman past - and the last man standing when Rome's Republic fell to tyranny. His blood feud with Caesar began in the chamber of the Senate, played out on the battlefields of a world war, and ended when he took his own life rather than live under a dictator. 

Centuries of thinkers, writers, and artists have drawn inspiration from Cato's Stoic courage. Saint Augustine and the early Christians were moved and challenged by his example. Dante, in his Divine Comedy, chose Cato to preside over the souls who arrive in Purgatory. George Washington so revered him that he staged a play on Cato's life to revive the spirit of his troops at Valley Forge.

Now, in Rome's Last Citizen, Rob Goodman and Jimmy Soni deliver the first modern biography of this stirring figure.

By:   ,
Imprint:   Griffin
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 209mm,  Width: 140mm,  Spine: 25mm
Weight:   330g
ISBN:   9781250042620
ISBN 10:   1250042623
Pages:   384
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

ROB GOODMAN has worked as the speechwriter for House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Senator Chris Dodd. He has written speeches and opinion pieces that have appeared on the floors of both houses of Congress, on national television and radio, and in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. JIMMY SONI is the managing editor of The Huffington Post and a former speechwriter, whose writing and commentary have appeared in The Atlantic online and on NPR, among other outlets.

Reviews for Rome's Last Citizen: Life and Legacy of Cato, Mortal Enemy of Caesar

<p> Effectively the first-ever modern biography of Cato. The writing is excellent, the stories unforgettable, and the lessons practical. <br>--Tim Ferriss on FourHourWorkWeek.com <br> [This] wise and lively book offers two lessons: first, knowing modern politics can yield insight into study of the ancient world; and second, Rome still has lessons to teach us today. <br>-- City Journal <br> The authors succeed brilliantly in bringing this fascinating statesman to life. <br>-- Kirkus Reviews <br> In a rare modern biography of Marcus Cato the Younger, a rival of both Caesar and Pompey, Goodman, formerly a Democratic speechwriter, and Soni (managing editor, Huffington Post) argue that understanding Cato and the many legends surrounding him will help readers understand both the current American political climate and contemporary notions of freedom...there are great moments here: Cato, struggling in Utica after the defeats at Pharsalus and Thapsus, is revealed in all his flawed humanity. Where others (e.g. Adrian Goldsworthy in Caesar: Life of a Colussus ) are inclined to view Cato as a hypocrite, using his virture and stoicism as another tack to rise in the high-stakes world of late Republic Rome power politics, Goodman and Soni take a more nuanced approach, broaching many questions, never answering firmly. This makes for a more revealing portrait of a real man and demonstrates just how much a symbol Cato has become. <br>-- Library Journal <br> Written in flowing, nonacademic prose, this biography suits the never-waning popular interest in the dramas of ancient Roman history. <br> -- Booklist <br> This well-paced and dramatic book narrates the controversial life and political and moral legacy of Marcus Porcius Cato...They [the authors] give their account depth by closely grounding it in the ancient sources, and their experience in and knowledge of modern politics adds special value to their assessments of Cato... indeed frankly describing his flaws a


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