Fascinating read. Cicero obviously is not only a very important historical figure but one who is immensely complex. Therefore, in order to successfully capture this reality one has to do a tremendous amount of research and this author obviously did that. I found ti to be very engaging as well. Oftentimes books of this ilk that are historical biographies have a difficult time inputing the requisite narrative flow that keeps the audience engaged. This book did not have that trouble. Greatly enjoyed this.

You learn a lot about the times of Cicero. All the Latin words that give a sense of that time - patrocinium, laudatio, dignitas, verusm and so on. Based on your interest, you can dig more into those.

The author does comparing patronage and other aspects of governance from Cicero's time ours to now in current US and UK.

The rise of communication systems -- roads, postal. Is that linked to the civilization's interest in interpersonal communication? Did that "tremendous amounts of civil management and government communications" play a role in the governance and building better political systems?

Aristotlean thought is that you can never know a thing byitself, you have to compare it to another that to know this. In that vein, the comparison makes you time travel back and forth about the 'state of the art' now and then.

I am an ardent fan of Cicero and this book is a worthy addition to my mainly fictional accounts of this amazing, clever man. Bujak writes with obvious affection for his subject and I found it a very easy read. Ciceros verbal battles with his enemies are legendary and his style of oration second to none. Anyone who is curious about the politics and intrigues of the Roman Empire will enjoy this book. Bujak injects life into ancient Rome and its primary and secondary characters. I cannot recommend highly enough. Thank you to Pen & Sword for an excellent publication and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this excellent book.