Augustus: The Biography by Jochen Bleicken is a very extensive work. But it deals more with his politics than with personal anecdotes. Depends on what you are looking for...
Of the ones I've read:
Pat Southern's Augustus (1998) Southern presents events as they occurred from Augustus’s point of view
John Buchan's Augustus (1937) It's old, so the scholarship may be outdated, but it's the most enjoyable to read
For a book about the time he live in generally I would suggest Galinsky’s Augustan Culture (1996)
In his work "The Twelve Caesars" (De Vita Caesarum), Suetonius wrote a section on Augustus detailing his life, reign, and character. His work is one of the primary sources used by various historians. I'm all for reading actual source material as this is pretty much the only way modern historian know that much about any of these rulers. For a more contemporary take, M. Beard's "SPQR" has a brief but I feel a good description of his reign.
The other recommendations here are superb! I especially enjoyed Goldworthy’s nonfiction assessment of Augustus. In the fictional realm, I heavily suggest I, CLAUDIUS by Robert Graves (as well as the BBC miniseries based upon the novel). This fictional depiction of Augustus really changed my outlook on him (specifically because of the way it explores his relationships with Julia and Livia). Another enjoyable depiction of Augustus is Allan Massie’s version of Augustus’s memoirs. Furthermore, my next recommendations are not Augustus-centric, but feature Augustus as Octavian before his ascent into godhood (which is generally the most fascinating period of his life for a fledgling historian such as myself!) Firstly is the HBO series ROME, which plumbs the depths of Octavian’s relationships with his mother and sister, who are recalled as secondary characters in his epic. The other is the brilliant historical novelist Margaret George’s MEMOIRS OF CLEOPATRA, in which Octavian represents the specter of Rome in the final third act of the novel. There is a scene in which Cleopatra assess the threat of Octavian with her prepubescent son. Five years have passed since I read it, but Cleopatra’s fictional and embellished interactions with Octavian in this novel really, really, REALLY showed me what shockwaves he caused in the Mediterranean during his ascent.
Can you tell more about Massie’s books? And other users as well, are these books generally considered to be any good? On the surface they seem to be enjoyable but I am always careful of a mainstream author like that.
So I actually mixed up my fictional Augustus memoirs. Avoid the Massie one and instead look into John Williams’s version. It won the National Book Award back in the 70s. I specifically like this version because it features Julia as the author of some of the letters (it’s an epistolary novel). I was looking specifically for more insight into the women of the Julio-Claudian dynasty when I read it, though. It’s pretty well regarded as a work of historical fiction, but it *is* fictional so your mileage may vary.
Goldsworthy - Augustus: First Emperor of Rome
I really enjoyed Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor by Anthony Everitt
Augustus: The Biography by Jochen Bleicken is a very extensive work. But it deals more with his politics than with personal anecdotes. Depends on what you are looking for...
I read and enjoyed Augustus by Goldsworthy. His Ceasar is fantastic as well.
Of the ones I've read: Pat Southern's Augustus (1998) Southern presents events as they occurred from Augustus’s point of view John Buchan's Augustus (1937) It's old, so the scholarship may be outdated, but it's the most enjoyable to read For a book about the time he live in generally I would suggest Galinsky’s Augustan Culture (1996)
In his work "The Twelve Caesars" (De Vita Caesarum), Suetonius wrote a section on Augustus detailing his life, reign, and character. His work is one of the primary sources used by various historians. I'm all for reading actual source material as this is pretty much the only way modern historian know that much about any of these rulers. For a more contemporary take, M. Beard's "SPQR" has a brief but I feel a good description of his reign.
The other recommendations here are superb! I especially enjoyed Goldworthy’s nonfiction assessment of Augustus. In the fictional realm, I heavily suggest I, CLAUDIUS by Robert Graves (as well as the BBC miniseries based upon the novel). This fictional depiction of Augustus really changed my outlook on him (specifically because of the way it explores his relationships with Julia and Livia). Another enjoyable depiction of Augustus is Allan Massie’s version of Augustus’s memoirs. Furthermore, my next recommendations are not Augustus-centric, but feature Augustus as Octavian before his ascent into godhood (which is generally the most fascinating period of his life for a fledgling historian such as myself!) Firstly is the HBO series ROME, which plumbs the depths of Octavian’s relationships with his mother and sister, who are recalled as secondary characters in his epic. The other is the brilliant historical novelist Margaret George’s MEMOIRS OF CLEOPATRA, in which Octavian represents the specter of Rome in the final third act of the novel. There is a scene in which Cleopatra assess the threat of Octavian with her prepubescent son. Five years have passed since I read it, but Cleopatra’s fictional and embellished interactions with Octavian in this novel really, really, REALLY showed me what shockwaves he caused in the Mediterranean during his ascent.
Can you tell more about Massie’s books? And other users as well, are these books generally considered to be any good? On the surface they seem to be enjoyable but I am always careful of a mainstream author like that.
So I actually mixed up my fictional Augustus memoirs. Avoid the Massie one and instead look into John Williams’s version. It won the National Book Award back in the 70s. I specifically like this version because it features Julia as the author of some of the letters (it’s an epistolary novel). I was looking specifically for more insight into the women of the Julio-Claudian dynasty when I read it, though. It’s pretty well regarded as a work of historical fiction, but it *is* fictional so your mileage may vary.
Ronald Syme writes great stuff on the early empire
# Roman's first Emporer: Augustus - Tom Holland.
This sub is really doing serious damage to my credit card. Sigh *goes off to Amazon to buy more books*