This is historical fiction, set in Ancient Rome, focusing on Gaius Marius "The First Man in Rome" during the period of the Roman Republic (before Julius Caesar and Augustus). McCullough weaves a very complex and detailed Rome with historically accurate terminology and cultural references that require the attention of the reader. Highly recommended for those with an affinity for the period. ( )

I approached this a bit reluctantly after reading a recommendation in Bob Carr;s excellent My Reading Life. We clearly share literary tastes, so I thought I'd give it a go, knowing literally nothing about the history of Rome at all. And was very pleasantly surprised. It's definitely detailed, and would be a ripping yarn if it were made up, so is doubly so because it's (apparently) entirely historically accurate. I've started volume two already, and feel as if the series is getting into it's stride a bit with the introduction of the precocious Julius Caesar, so I'm going to hang in there, enjoy the ride, and learn a bit of history in the process. ( )

A fine imagination at work here, but two things stop it being a great historical novel: the writing is ponderous and slow, dialogue is unrealistic, and the repetitions made my teeth curl. Secondly, McCullough knows her subject but does not wear her learning lightly. It's as if she had a list of 'interesting things I know about Rome' and squeezed them all in, regardless of the brakes this put on the narrative. Overall I enjoyed it, but only just! ( )

I love history, particularly ancient history.The First Man in Rome is the first book in a fictional series that chronicles the devolution of Rome from republic to empire. It begins with Gaius Marius and the start of his relationship with the Caesar family. While I found some of the military campaigning to be a bit of a drag (for others there might not be enough of it), I found it very readable and full of well researched details of period life to make me happy. I wish that the series had begun with Gaius and Tiberius Gracchus (and maybe she'll go back and do that someday). It was a time filled with political turmoil all of which was significant in making Rome what it became. ( )

Colleen McCullough's The First Man in Rome is a hefty tome (896 pages) of historical fiction, which details the military and political career of historical figure Gaius Marius (157 BC - 86 BC), as well as the history of Rome during his lifetime. It sounds dry, but it was actually quite fascinating. It just took me ages to get through because there is so much detail -- not to mention learning Roman naming conventions, which are at first very confusing, and keeping track of the many, many characters. I think I've just learned more about ancient Rome than I ever learned in school – not surprising, since it was probably close to nothing. After finishing the body of the story I continued, working my way through the 94-page glossary (slightly dry, but it is helping to round out my understanding of the Roman world). Looking forward to taking on the rest of the series. ( )