A Pillar of Iron

by Taylor Caldwell

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New York Times Bestseller: A magnificent novel of ancient Rome and the tragic life of Cicero, who tried in vain to save the republic he loved from tyranny. In this riveting tale, the Roman Empire in its final glory is seen through the eyes of philosopher, orator, and political theorist Marcus Tullius Cicero. From his birth in 106 BC in the hill town of Arpinum, Cicero, the educated son of a wealthy member of the equestrian order, is destined for greatness. At a young age, he discovers the show more legend of the Unknown God, the coming Messiah, and it propels him on a journey of spiritual conflict and self-discovery that takes the rising young lawyer from his tumultuous family life to his tenuous alliance with Julius Caesar to a fateful love affair with the Roman empress Livia and, finally, to the political role that will make him a target of powerful enemies-and secure his legacy as one the greatest influences on Western civilization. Based on hundreds of speeches, voluminous private correspondence, and ancient texts and manuscripts, this bestselling epic brings into focus Cicero's complicated relationships with his contemporaries, including Caesar, Mark Antony, and Crassus, and brilliantly captures the pageantry, turmoil, and intrigue of life in ancient Rome. According to legendary editor Maxwell Perkins, author "Taylor Caldwell is a storyteller first, last and foremost, and once you begin reading one of her books, you can't help finishing it." This eBook features an illustrated biography of Taylor Caldwell including rare images from the author's estate. show less

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10 reviews
About Marcus Tullius Cicero and Rome in the days of the life and death of Julius Caesar. It is well researched, and attempts to bring the prophecies and messianic scriptures into the life of this Roman writer and lawyer to such an extent that one could believe him a pre-Christian. It is also full of a devotion to the Virgin Mary [as was Caldwell's other book about Luke], revealing a strong Catholic bent. It was long in the reading and gave a picture of a man who sought to be faithful to his ideal of Rome, yet could be misled by his very purity to support clever and ambitious men. The pictures given of Julius and Octavius Caesar are not complementary.
Pillar of Iron by the master author Caldwell is unquestionably a work of genius. She covers a huge lot in between, beginning with the time of Cicero's birth and ending with his murder. In 106 BC, Cicero was born on his family's estate not far from Arpinum. His mother, Helvia, was from an aristocratic family, while his father, Marcus Tullius Cicero, who is also known as Tullius in the novel, belonged to the equestrian class. Cicero was regarded as a "new man" and a plebeian in Rome.
½
The great orator Cicero brought to life.
Una espléndida recreación de la vida de Cicerón y del Imperio romano, considerado todo un hito literario. Una apasionante novela donde se cruzan las intrigas palaciegas, las pasiones y los crímenes y donde salen a relucir las cuestiones que más procupaban a Cicerón: la religión, la política y la guerra.
Esta novela legendaria, fruto de nueve años de investigación, es una fascinante recreación de la vida de Marco Tulio Cicerón en la Roma imperial. Gracias a este trabajo, Taylor consigue describir el mundo de la antigua Roma con gran exactitud y captar el alcance de una figura tan excepcional y controvertida como la de Cicerón. Agudo analista del mundo que le rodeaba, Cicerón fue también una persona adelantada a su tiempo cuya clarividencia le hizo ganarse tantos amigos como enemigos. Convierten esta novela en la obra definitiva sobre uno de los hombres más polifacéticos y más admirados de la historia romana.
Un clásico sobre Roma en su época dorada.
Novela histórica en la que se narra la vida de Marco Tulio Cicerón, famoso abogado, escritor y político romano, en tiempos de Julio Cesar.
Desde la visión de este gran personaje históricos, amigo y enemigo del propio Julio Cesar, así como de Pompeyo; se narra el ocaso de la República en Roma, y el advenimiento de las dictaduras hasta las proximidades de la Roma imperial, que comenzaría con Octavio Augusto, unos años después del asesisanato de Cicerón.
Roma en su explendor o Roma en su decadencia. Explendor de grandes generales como Julio Cesar, pero restricción de las libertades democráticas con las que nació la república romanal.
El lector deberá elegir, y quizá se dé cuenta show more que después de dos mil años, las cosas realmente no han cambiado mucho, show less

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Author Information

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66+ Works 8,101 Members
Taylor Caldwell was born in Manchester, England in 1900. Her family emigrated to the United States in 1907. She attended the University of Buffalo. Caldwell began writing stories at age eight. She wrote several best-selling novels including Dynasty of Death, The Strong City, The Sound of Thunder, Bright Flows the River and Answer As a Man. She show more wrote historical fiction and some of her titles contained religious themes. She also wrote under the pen name Max Reiner. Her memoir, Growing Up Tough, was published in 1971. Her titles won her numerous awards including the National League of American Pen Woman Gold Medal, Buffalo Evening News Award, Grand Prix Chatvain and two International Awards for Book of the Year. She died in Greenwich, Connecticut on September 2, 1985. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

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Common Knowledge

Canonical title
A Pillar of Iron
Original title
A Pillar of Iron
Original publication date
1965
People/Characters
Cicero, Marcus Tullius, 106-43 BC; Julius Caesar; Scaevola; Cataline; Livia Drusilla; Noe Ben Joel (show all 7); Pompey the Great
Important places
Ancient Rome
Dedication
Dedicated to the memory of President John F. Kennedy and to Senator Barry Goldwater (R. Ariz.) and Senator Thomas Dodd (D. Conn.)

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, General Fiction, Historical Fiction
DDC/MDS
813.54Literature & rhetoricAmerican literature in EnglishAmerican fiction in English1900-19991945-1999
LCC
PZ3 .C12743Language and LiteratureFiction and juvenile belles lettresFiction and juvenile belles lettresFiction in English
BISAC

Statistics

Members
452
Popularity
67,843
Reviews
9
Rating
(3.78)
Languages
5 — English, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Media
Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
26
ASINs
14