A scandalous history of the Roman Emperors - Anthony Blond

Appearing for the first time in paperback, this eye-opening account of the Caesars by Anthony Blond is both fascinating and hilarious. Julius Caesar, founder of the dynasty, shows up as an arrogant charmer and a swank, while the revered Augustus, his nephew, is revealed as a lonely little man who used lifts in his shoes. Other members of the family portrayed warts and all are Caligula, Claudius (possibly the most scheming and murderous of all) and Nero, who surprisingly turns out to be an architectural visionary opposed to 'human' blood sports.
The Emperors are set against a background of Roman social and political life - sexual mores, slavery, the games, the law and the appetite-suppressing low-down on food and dining customs contributed by Laura Blond.