This sequel to "I, Claudius" is very good but does not quite measure up to the first book (but it would be hard to be as good as that excellent book). All the most interesting characters are dead and gone, really leaving only Claudius. It is just a bit too long and bogs down at points. The chapters on Herod Agrippa and those on the invasion of Britain are interesting, but are too detailed and I was longing to get back to Rome and it's intrigues. On the positive side, the research and historical accuracy are excellent and give much insight into the government and running of Imperial Rome. Like Claudius, the reader wishes the Roman Republic could return and stop the line of emperors, but unlike Claudius we all know it never happens. Again Graves creates some interesting characters, but none measure up to the first book (I miss Livia!). You feel sorry for Claudius, stuck in a job he didn't want and alone at the top. And then there is Messalina... By all means read this book, but read "I, Claudius" first. And then re-watch the 1976 BBC series too, of course! Can anyone (over a certain age) read these books without thinking of Derek Jacobi? ( )

For most of his life a historian survived his murderous family to become the leader of one of the greatest empires in history, now he must rule. Claudius the God is Robert Graves historical fiction follow-up to I, Claudius as the now fourth Emperor of Rome continues his secret autobiography that focuses on his time as Caesar.

This sequel focuses on Claudius’ time as Emperor, primarily up to fall of his wife Messalina, except at the beginning when the life of Herod Agrippa so that Claudius could explain how Herod helped him become Emperor. Throughout the book Claudius tells how he wants to undo the damage his uncle and nephew have caused and fulfill Augustus dream of retiring and allowing the Republic to return. However after Claudius learns of his wife’s secret life and his near overthrow, he comes to the conclusion that Rome needs a worse emperor than Tiberius and Caligula combine for the Republic to the be restored. Like the first book, Graves presents Claudius as a believable person with high hopes that see them dashed against reality while also presenting a great first-person narrative that uses Suetonius and Tacitus as primary sources that gives the reader a look into Roman history without it being dry.

Claudius the God brings the life of the fourth Roman Emperor to it’s conclusion as Robert Graves once again gives the reader a great character to follow throughout the book. ( )

As much as I liked the first book, I liked the second one even better. I think the religious conflict helped this story a bit. I also like Robert Graves' writing overall. He makes it convincing that Claudius wrote the book and not him. In my opinion, this is some of the best historical fiction I've read in a long time.

Before Robert Graves, I didn't really have any interest in Roman emperors or even Roman History. I always thought it was boring. After reading these two Claudius books I was proven wrong. Not only is it interesting, but exciting. Maybe it's because of the scandals and murder that make it interesting to me.

In someways, I wish there was a third book or more to this book, but there is not. Claudius eventually dies at the end and there isn't any reason to continue the story. However, Graves wrote a lot of books and there are other books about Claudius out there. For me, this is only the end of the beginning. ( )

3.5, rounded down.

Perhaps I would have loved this more if I had not already known the details of the story. This did not move as fast or fluid as [b:I, Claudius|18765|I, Claudius (Claudius, #1)|Robert Graves|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388185810s/18765.jpg|4232388] and Graves got a bit bogged down in several sections with details of Roman wars. Particularly difficult was the section regarding the conquering of Britain, with the strategy of the battle taking up chapter upon chapter. He did much the same thing with his accounts of events in the East and the life of Herod Agrippa.

I highly, highly recommend seeing the Masterpiece Theater series adapted from these novels. This is one of the few times when the movie far outstrips the novels it was based upon. My hat is off to the writers who adapted these novels so perfectly. Of course, also off to Robert Graves, who saw in Claudius the Stammerer more than just a tidbit of history and found in him a remarkable survivor. ( )

I picked up I Claudius and Claudius the God, because I remembered really liking the BBC Series, which we watched in Latin Class. I approached the first book with some caution, not sure if they would live up to the TV series, after all, these books were written almost 80 years ago. I was not disappointed. They're great. Really great. It is written in a manner that projects a lot of authenticity, yet very pleasant to read.

'I Claudius' deals with Claudius' childhood up until Caligula's assassination, in the form of an autobiography. 'Claudius the God' describes Claudius' life as emperor of Rome until his death.

It's obvious that Graves knows his stuff and that he has done a lot of research. Granted, he does portray some of the wild stories that Suetonius and the like wrote about as being true, and most historians will tell you to take this with a pinch of salt. But hey, I remember loving those stories in my Latin classes, the crazier the better. I adored Caligula, he was just awesome. Horse elected senator, war against Neptune, oh man. Good stuff.

So many times while reading these, I came upon facts, or names or whatever and I would have an 'ohhhh yeah!' moment and remember things that I'd been taught years ago. These two books are a must-read for people who are interested in Roman stuff. Graves does tend to go into a lot of detail, so make sure you're a total geek before you start. Myself, nine times out of ten, I was very interested. And there's always epic battles, murder, deceit, banishment and adultery to mix things up.

Personally, I enjoyed the first book a little more than the second one, but that might be because the first one has historical V.I.P.'s such as Caligula and Augustus (who is, by the way, probably a little slower and a little more pussywhipped than the real Augustus was), but they are both still very much recommended. By me.

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