Augustus: From Revolutionary to Emperor (Book) Review

by Pen & Sword Books

Released: 14th August 2015
RRP: £25.00
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Author: Adrian Goldsworthy
Type: Hardback
ISBN: 9780297864257
Pages: 608

Buy Augustus: From Revolutionary to Emperor from Amazon

Leading ancient historian Adrian Goldswothy's new book examines the life of Augustus, the man who rose from an obscure teenager to become Rome's first and greatest emperor before his death two thousand years ago.

This is the story of how he became one of the most powerful men in the world, and stabilised an empire that had been ravaged by Civil War. Augustus's achievements, and his legacy are almost unparalleled.
Detailed and comprehensive, Goldsworthy's retelling the story of Augustus, brings this ancient story back to life, giving anyone from scholars to students, a chance to be immersed in the history of Augustus.

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Dates in History

German forces cross the Somme River

24th March 1918

On March 24, 1918, German forces cross the Somme River, achieving their first goal of the major spring offensive begun three days earlier on the Western Front. Operation Michael, engineered by the German chief of the general staff, Erich von Ludendorff, aimed to decisively break through the Allied lines on the Western Front and destroy the British and French forces. The offensive began on the morning of March 21, 1918, with an aggressive bombardment. The brunt of the attack that followed was directed at the British 5th Army, commanded by General Sir Hubert Gough, stationed along the Somme River in northwestern France. This section was the most poorly defended of any spot on the British lines, due to the fact that it had been held by the French until only a few weeks before and its defensive positions were not yet fully fortified. Panic spread up and down the British lines of command, intensified by communications failures between Gough and his subordinates in the field, and German gains increased over the subsequent days of battle. On March 23, Crown Prince Rupprecht, on the German side of the line, remarked that The progress of our offensive is so quick, that one cannot follow it with a pen. The next day, German troops stormed across the Somme, having previously captured its bridges before French troops could destroy them. Despite having resolved to concentrate on weaker points of the enemy lines, Ludendorff continued to throw his armies against the crucial villages of Amiens (a railway junction) and Arras—which the British and French were instructed to hold at all costs—hoping to break through and push on towards Paris. By that time, German troops were exhausted, and transportation and supply lines had begun to break down in the cold and bad weather. Meanwhile, Allied forces had recovered from the initial disadvantage and had begun to gain the upper hand, halting the Germans at Moreuil Wood on March 30. On April 5, Ludendorff called off Operation Michael. It had yielded nearly 40 miles of territory, the greatest gains for either side on the Western Front since 1914. He would launch four more offensive pushes over the course of the spring and summer, throwing all of the German army’s resources into this last, desperate attempt to win the war. (www.history.com)

Augustus: From Revolutionary to Emperor (Book) Review

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