Allan Massie Books In Order

Publication Order of Bordeaux Books

Publication Order of Dark Ages Books

Publication Order of Imperial Books

Publication Order of Question Of Loyalties Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Born on 19 October 1938 in Singapore, Allan Massie is a renowned Scottish sportswriter, journalist, and author. After completing his college education at Trinidad College, Massie began his career as a teacher. Later on in the year 1972, Allan Massie relocated to Rome where he served as an English professor. Ten years down the line, Allan Massie became a creative writing fellow at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Strathclyde Universities. Between the year 1989 and 1991, Allan Massie served as a member of the Scottish Arts Council and later on a Trustee of National-Museums of Scotland. As a reporter, Allan Massie worked for the Glasgow Herald and the Sunday-Times Scotland. Massie also served for the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, and the New Edinburgh Review.

Massie released his debut novel titled Decay-In-All-Around I See in the year 1978. In the year 1980, Allan Massie published his second novel titled, The Last Peacock, which scooped the highly coveted Fredrick Niven Award. Apart from publishing singles, Allan Massie is also the author of various trilogies and book series many of which include historical novels such as Caesar, Caligula, Tiberius and many others. In his career as an author, Allan Massie also published non-fiction books as well such as Muriel Spark, Byron, and Colette. Currently, Allan Massie resides in Scotland with his spouse. Due to his contribution to literature, Allan Massie received the CBE Award (Commander-of-Order) in the year 2013.

Augustus #1 Emperors
If you are into Roman Imperial History or alternatively you would like to know more about it, then Augustus is a great place to start. Apart from being detailed oriented, Augustus is also highly engaging. It is a commentary on a man, who did much more in shaping up the Roman Empire, more than any other man in the Roman history. Many people including the Romans acknowledge Augustus as the first emperor of the Roman Empire. Throughout his reign, Augustus managed to reform the entire Roman Empire from an ancient republic into a grand superpower, capable of controlling the provinces and the vast lands, which stretched through Asia, Europe, and Africa. Augustus is a fictional memoir from Roman’s first emperor, Augustus, as he narrates his life experiences. A middle-aged emperor in a victorious tone narrates the first part of the book Augustus. The emperor recounts the events, which led to the assassination of his uncle and the civil war, which resulted from the assassination.

Augustus also narrates his ascension to power, with the assistance of Agrippa, his general and Mark Anthony his one-time ally. Together, the three defeat the forces, which orchestrated his uncle’s assassination. As the narrative progresses, Augustus does not shy away from Rome’s Elite, many of whom who had openly opposed his ascension to power. Augustus not only took all their belongings and possessions but also condemned them to death. An experienced emperor narrates the second part of the novel as he recounts his recollection. Many readers do not like books, which are split into two parts mainly because they spoil one’s immersion into a narrative. However, considering the fact that Augustus ruled for so long, it was wise of the author to present the books in two sections. Author Allan Massie does an excellent job of changing the tone of the book as we enter the second part. In the second part, we meet with an emperor who is sad and somber after the death of his heirs, sons and two grandsons, which end up affecting him greatly.

It is in the second part of the book that we get to learn about Augustus startling achievement and how he managed to transform almost every aspect of the empire. We also get to learn how he managed to set up foundations, which would see the Roman Empire dominate the world.

Tiberius
Just like in Augustus, author Allan Massie presents the readers with a great insight into the mind of another great Roman emperor, Tiberius. Allan Massie creates another engrossing and skillful fictional memoir of a less-promising historical figure. Tiberius reputation oscillates between that of a prosaically punctilious and that of an underprivileged monster. Just like author Robert Graves, Allan Massie embarks on a rehabilitation mission of his protagonist. However, he covers distinctive ground beyond what author Claudius covers in his highly intriguing novels, by letting the protagonist, a reluctant and melancholy tyrant escape from the despotism of fact into an ill-defined, reflective meditation on history and human nature. Without overlooking period details or Julius Caesar’s lurid sexual and political machinations, the narrative avoids extreme sensationalization or pedantry.

Using a voice filled with regret, the aging emperor, Tiberius reviews his life, acknowledging that his rise to power made him a prey to loss, betrayal, and abandonment. The testimony of this compelling and tragic ancient Roman figure is executed with artistry, which itself is a testament to the persistent fascination that the early emperors exert on literary imagination. Apart from being solid, Tiberius is also plausible. Compared to his reputation, author Allan Massie paints Tiberius in an auspiciously light complexion. Author Allan Massie does not lay emphasis on Tiberius’s military exploits; instead, he decides to explore Tiberius time in exile in the cities of Capri and Rhodes. With that said, Tiberius offers the readers a great insight into one of the greatest Roman emperors, Tiberius. As a master of this type of literature, author Allan Massie delivers yet another highly intriguing novel.

Caesar #3
In this third installment, author Allan Massie tries to find a new drama story in the life of one of the most renowned figures in ancient Rome’s history. The narrator of the novel is a Roman general who is suffering in captivity while pondering upon the events, which led to his downfall and captivity. At one point, he was Caesar’s right-hand man but eventually became Caesar’s biggest betrayers. By presenting his narrative as a participant’s testimonial, author Allan Massie opens a new chapter onto the tragedy and private triumph, which marked the final days of Caesar’s life. Despite the fact that the book Caesar includes naturalistic and evocative descriptions, the emphasis in this book is on the character. In a succession of rhetorical set pieces, author Allan Massie represents the stories of well-known characters. By following the works of previous novelists, author Allan Massie catalogs the sexual penchants of Roman worthies and echoes Shakespeare when describing the political assassinations and its impacts on the Roman Empire.