Cleopatra the Great - by Joann Fletcher (Paperback)

About the Book

Retells the life of Cleopatra, from her first meeting with Julius Caesar to her death by snakebite, focusing on dispelling the legends built up throughout history about the ruler.

Book Synopsis

"Joann Fletcher has the good grace and specialist knowledge to do away with Roman romances. This book's bedrock is Egyptology. . . . Cleopatra was, indeed, not just a 'baleful beauty;' she was great." --History Today

Cleopatra the Great tells the story of a turbulent time and the extraordinary woman at its center. Intelligent and compulsively readable, this is an unparalleled biography worthy of one of history's most fascinating leaders: politician, mother, and goddess, the legendary Cleopatra.

The subject of myth for more than two millennia, Cleopatra has long been obscured by Roman propaganda, Shakespearean tragedy, and Hollywood glamour. Yet Cleopatra was a woman of passion, magnetism, and political genius, the last and perhaps the greatest Egyptian pharaoh. In Cleopatra the Great, world-renowned Egyptologist Joann Fletcher draws on a wealth of newly discovered information and research to reveal this vital woman as she truly was--a polymath monarch; a potent combination of traditionalist and innovator; an astute futurist; and a ruthless opportunist who would let nothing stand in her way.

From the Back Cover

The subject of myth for more than two millennia, Cleopatra has long been obscured by Roman propaganda, Shakespearean tragedy, and Hollywood glamour. Yet Cleopatra was a woman of passion, magnetism, and political genius, the last and perhaps the greatest Egyptian pharaoh. In Cleopatra the Great, world-renowned Egyptologist Joann Fletcher draws on a wealth of newly discovered information and research to reveal this vital woman as she truly was--a polymath monarch; a potent combination of traditionalist and innovator; an astute futurist; and a ruthless opportunist who would let nothing stand in her way.

Cleopatra the Great tells the story of a turbulent time and the extraordinary woman at its center. Intelligent and compulsively readable, this is an unparalleled biography worthy of one of history's most fascinating leaders: politician, mother, and goddess, the legendary Cleopatra.

Review Quotes

"[Cleopatra] was a vibrant, significant historical figure and Joann Fletcher has the good grace and specialist knowledge to do away with Roman romances. This book's bedrock is Egyptology, its drama the shifting sands of the desert powers that flank the Nile. . . . Fletcher's book reminds us that the metre of this queen's life was syncopated; with the hissing of priests and the ecstatic timbre of African pipes in her ears, with the vision of a unified Egypt before her, she succeeded in a region riven by operatic, chronic conflict. Cleopatra was, indeed not just a 'baleful beauty'; she was great." - Aviation History
"Fletcher aims to place [Cleopatra] as one of history's 'key players' and not so much Egyptian as Mediterranean, for she could trace her ancestry to Macedonia, and her life was dependent on the rise and fall of the Greeks . . . Much of the pleasure comes from her broad knowledge of the world in which her heroine lived, especially the religious rituals." - Daily Telegraph (London)
"The author not only fills in the blanks but also provides incredible detail about the lives of Egyptians during the 300-year reign of the Ptolemies. Beginning with the conquests of Alexander the Great and his search for a site to establish his eponymous city in Egypt, the author effortlessly examines the facts. Among numerous others, Fletcher exposes the largely unknown stories of Caesar's epilepsy, Cleopatra's vast intelligence and Mark Antony's dereliction of duty. . . . A perfect complement to Stacey Schiff's excellent Cleopatra: A Life (2010). Readers interested in Cleopatra and her world are advised to read both." - Kirkus Reviews
"In this superior study, Egyptologist Joann Fletcher argues that Cleopatra's genius as a strategist, which allowed her to restore a fading Egypt to its former glory, is what makes her the 'true heir' to her ancestor Alexander the Great. . . . Fletcher offers the most scholarly look at the real Cleopatra. The results make for a phenomenal book that provides a rich history of Cleopatra's time. The pacing is not slowed by the impeccable research employed by Fletcher to support her claims. Those interested in Cleopatra, ancient history, or a well written and academically sound biography will enjoy this authentic look at a queen of Egypt who managed to be all things to all people--mother, queen, goddess, and whore." - Library Journal (starred review)
"Egyptologist Fletcher has undoubtedly established the new standard in biographies. . . . Exceedingly well-written. . . . A comprehensive examination." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"[A] major myth-buster. . . . This robust portrait of one of history's most famously misunderstood leaders shines a new spotlight on an old subject, proving once again that Cleopatra is ageless as well as timeless." - Booklist