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Colleen McCullough

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The Grass Crown (Masters of Rome, 2) Kindle Edition

by Colleen McCullough (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.7 760 ratings

Book 2 of 7: Masters of Rome

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New York Times bestselling author Colleen McCullough returns us to an age of magnificent triumphs, volcanic passions, and barbaric cruelties.

Throughout the Western world, great kingdoms have fallen and despots lay crushed beneath the heels of Rome's advancing legions. But now internal rebellion threatens the stability of the mighty Republic. An aging, ailing Gaius Marius, heralded conqueror of Germany and Numidia, longs for that which was prophesied many years before: an unprecedented seventh consulship of Rome. It is a prize to be won only through treachery and with blood, pitting Marius against a new generation of assassins, power-seekers, and Senate intriguers—and setting him at odds with the ambitious, tormented Lucius Cornelius Sulla, once Marius's most trusted right-hand man, now his most dangerous rival.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Continuing the saga of the Roman Empire begun with The First Man in Rome , McCullough spins a stupendous tale of love, lust and murderous ambition. This title was cited in PW 's "red and black" feature as having failed significantly in hardcover to live up to publishers' sales expectations.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Volume two of McCullough's triumphant Roman series. The First in Rome (1990) initiated the chronicle of the edgy partnership of new-man-in-Rome Gaius Marius and aristocrat Lucius Cornelius Sulla during the German wars. Here, the calamitous last hurrah of one and the violent pinnacle acts of the other twist through years of Italian wars, expeditions into Asia Minor, domestic trials and brief happinesses, terrible cruelties, and politics, always politics, in which sectors, families, and the famous fight for power--by diplomacy, manipulation, alliances, or the simple art of murder. By now (roughly 80's and 90's B.C.) Marius is in his 60s and escaping a ``dull'' Rome to scout Asia Minor and sniff out the purposes of the barbarian king Mithridates of Pontus. The king will be faced down, and, some years later, Sulla, in a spectacular expedition over the Euphrates, will face him down again. Meanwhile, in the Senate there is a movement to enfranchise the sophisticated neighboring Italians, a movement snapped off by an assassination and a polarizing of ruling powers--and, inevitably, there's war. It is the overwhelming victory over one of the Italian tribes that brings Sulla his highest honor (the Grass Crown). Surely he is now equal to the great general Marius, now crippled by a stroke and attended by the boy Gaius Julius Caesar Junior, his wife's nephew. (Yep. The very same.) Marius intends to fulfill an old prophecy- -that he will be elected Consul for a seventh time. The inevitable conflict between Marius and Sulla explodes during an ongoing battle to dilute the power of the Senate elite. There will be a march on an unarmed Rome, screaming grabs for ascendance from an unhinged, dying Marius, and a raving Sulla, plus bloody deaths...and deaths...and deaths. Again, magnificent portraits of real beings. And, again, gamey politics, bright talk, great scenery, and gore. With glossary and maps. (Literary Guild Dual Selection for November) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B081D1BJ7M
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Avon; Reprint edition (April 7, 2020)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 7, 2020
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 18614 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 1149 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #149,684 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #46 in Historical Australian & Oceanian Fiction
- #145 in Historical Biographical Fiction
- #465 in Classic American Literature

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4.7 760 ratings

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Colleen McCullough

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Colleen McCullough was born in Australia. A neuropathologist, she established the department of neurophysiology at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney before working as a researcher and teacher at Yale Medical School for ten years. Her writing career began with the publication of Tim, followed by The Thorn Birds, a record-breaking international bestseller. She lives on Norfolk Island in the South Pacific with her husband, Ric Robinson.

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4.7 out of 5

760 global ratings

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Kenneth Freedman

A reading equal to the Novel

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2022

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Colleen McCullough's "Masters of Rome" series, of which this a part, is epic in scope with an enormous cast of characters. It is abridged for this audio book, but the editing was well-done and nothing critical to understanding is lost. This reading is just as magnificent. F. Murray Abraham's ability to distinguish between characters in a conversation is so skilled that you forget it is one person. Great story, great novel, great performance.

3 people found this helpful

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Peter Schaeffer

Good Book

Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2020

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This is one of the books that makes up the series "Masters of Rome" by Colleen McCullough. All of the books are good and well worth reading. Colleen McCullough is actually better known for having written "The Thorn Birds". However, "Masters of Rome" seems to have been her labor of love. I would urge anyone to read the first book first, the second book second, and so forth and so on.

The books are interesting in many ways. One of them, is that they cover a period of Rome's history before (and overlapping with) the rise of Julius Cesar. Most histories of Rome basically start with Cesar and the fall of the Republic. That is not true in this case. The author covers the life of Gaius Marius, Sulla, and other who pre-date Cesar by decades. i learned a great deal from these books and commend the author for writing them.

4 people found this helpful

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Quianna A.

Triumphant

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2022

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The Grass Crown brings Sulla, Marius, Gaius Julius Caesar and the entire Roman world to life in a way that no other writing does. It brings perspective to the atrocities of the time as to how and why events happened as they did. As this is a work of fiction, of course there are liberties taken with events, and everything else, but overall it is a fabulous interpretation of the Sullan and Marian Era. I have been a fan of this series for many years and I read and re-read them fairly often. I gives me a great deal of food for thought when I read real historical accounts of that life and times. Highly recommend.

One person found this helpful

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P. Newhart

The Grass Crown

Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2009

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This is the second book in Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series and focuses mainly on the great men of the decade including Marius and Sulla who we all know by now from the first book.

Just as in The First Man in Rome there are wars, scandals, murder, and political intrigue but I found this book to be quicker moving. This could be due to the fact that by now the reader is accustomed to the Roman names and the political systems as well as with the geography of Italy and Rome so less time is needed to understand the unfamiliar terms. As well, in the author's note, Ms. McCullough states that since the scene was already set, a lot of the details were not repeated. Either way, I found it a more enjoyable read than the first novel.

The characters the reader knows from the first book show different sides of themselves in this book, and you may alter your opinions of them and who is good vs. bad! I feel that this is realistic as a person generally is not all good or all bad, but you'll have to read for yourself! We are also introduced to Young Caesar in this novel, and hints of greatness are given. Much more to look forward to in the next books of the series!

5 people found this helpful

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Squirrel Shopper

Excellent Historical Novel

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2016

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I am a huge Colleen McCullough fan, especially of her series on the late Roman Republic. The historical research is generally accurate and where the author deviates from known historical fact, she scrupulously explains her decisions in the addendum. There is also a glossary of Roman terms and a cast of characters in most of the books. In the process of bringing the era to life, the author provides the characters with personalities based on her research and her own speculation about what they would have/might have done. If you are looking for a scholarly treatment of the late Roman Republic, this is not the book for you but as a great read for the historically inclined, this is very rewarding. This is not the first time I've read this book and I still find it immensely entertaining. She brings ancient heroes and horrors to life, in this case Lucius Cornelius Sulla, the antihero you love to hate.

5 people found this helpful

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TR Jensen

Astonishing

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2023

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I’ve had to learn how to read differently. More deeply. More attentively in order to receive all that Mrs. McCullough has for me. And in doing so I have been deeply rewarded.

What a treasure these books are.

4 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Excellent

Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2023

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It keeps you reading when you should be doing something else. Very much enjoyed the education and insights into Roman thinking.

One person found this helpful

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jrfs49

The Grass Crown

Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2022

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Genuinely great historical fiction. McMullough's absorption in the ancient Roman world, its geography, politics, governmental structure and function, characters extensive genealogies, religious beliefs and rituals, history and mythology are unparalleled and matched with engaging stories and characters. Some if not the best historical fiction ever.

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Rosalind Clayton

Great value!

Reviewed in Canada on September 24, 2021

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This book was not brand new but I would never have known it! It was in perfect condition & I paid less than for brand new - a super deal!!

abhijit aloni

Good

Reviewed in India on March 7, 2020

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Good

abracadabra

Nice item at the right price and efficient service.

Reviewed in Italy on February 10, 2020

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There is not a lot to say about this. I am happy about the item and about the seller. The book is much more than just interesting, quite close to the real history. Wonderful.

W. Hedinger

Staggering

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 11, 2013

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This is part ll of Vl. I loved part l and ditto part ll. The amount of research that CMcC has undertaken is breathtaking. I'm no expert on Roman history but the amount of detail this book contains, much of which must be historically accurate, is staggering. But this is no history text book. This is the next chapter in an engrossing story which grabbed me from page one of book one and is carrying me along with it. The characters are so fully described that I can see them standing in front of me while the writing style covers complex scenes with ease. If I have any criticism it is of the maps provided which are hand drawn and could, in my opinion, be better. There is a comprehensive (and necessary) glossary at the end of the book because CMcC takes no prisoners when it comes to describing Roman customs, military terms, legal terms and the Roman system of government, not to mention the complicated Roman nomenclature and family relationships. Brilliant.

2 people found this helpful

Richard W. Armstrong

A Strong, fascinating, truly educational, and highly readable novel of the period,

Reviewed in Australia on January 3, 2016

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A rare insight into the wider vistas of ancient Rome with intriguing and in depth historical plots, battles, Court intrigues, historical figures moving through the Roman version of civilised society, pre100bc, absolutely fascinating for anyone interested in this period. For me, it exploded many of the myths I had garnered from my previous readings of this period. The author had to have studied these times in great depth to have produced such a readable and occasionally sad account of mans early attempts at creating a civilised society. To me this is a truly valuable account of this period of history.

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The Grass Crown (Masters of Rome, 2) Kindle Edition

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Colleen McCullough

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