Cleopatra

Book Categories: Cleopatra, Mark Antony, Family, Era, Portrayals, Hellenistic World, Fiction, Plays, Ancient Egypt, Caesar, Octavian, Children's Books, DVDs

Cleopatra

Cleopatra: Beyond the Myth by Michel Chauveau, translated by David Lorton. Shows how the lack of sources (as well as Cleopatra's own attempts to mythologize her reign) has allowed romantic legends to flourish. The author disputes the claims of other biographers and points out biases in the accounts of Roman historians.

Cleopatra: A Biography by Duane W. Roller. Cleopatra was a visionary leader whose goal was always the preservation of her dynasty and kingdom. Even her love affairs with Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius were carefully crafted state policies. This is the first account based solely on primary materials from the Greco-Roman period, including Cleopatra's own writings.

Cleopatra: Last Queen of Egypt by Joyce Tyldesley. This biography seeks to strip away preconceptions to present a rich picture of ancient Egypt and its queen.

Cleopatra by Prudence J. Jones. Biography that focuses on ancient sources. Includes color illustrations.

Cleopatra: A Sourcebook by Prudence J. Jones. A series of readings about Cleopatra -- historical, literary, and documentary -- extending from ancient times to the 20th century. The introduction places the sources in historical and cultural context.

Cleopatra: The Life and Death of a Pharaoh by Edith Flamarion, translated by Alexandra Bonfante-Warren. Includes nearly 100 illustrations.

Cleopatra the Great: The Woman Behind the Legend by Joann Fletcher. Reveals Cleopatra as a brilliant politician and scholar, and describes her banquets, library, goddess outfits, beauty regimes, and hairstyles. Available from Alibris.

Cleopatra by Michael Grant. Debunks the image of a wayward woman and replaces it with a brilliant linguist and strategist. From Alibris.

Cleopatra by Ernle Bradford. This biography suggests that Cleopatra's prurient reputation was likely manufactured by the conquering Romans to discredit her name after her death. From Alibris.

Cleopatra by E. E. Rice. A biography. Available from Alibris.

The Search for Cleopatra by Michael Foss. Biography. From Alibris.

Cleopatra's Palace: In Search of a Legend by Laura Foreman. An illustrated look at archaeologists' work to excavate the underwater ruins of Cleopatra's palace in Alexandria. From Alibris.

The Warrior Queens by Antonia Fraser is about Cleopatra and other female leaders.

Books About Julius Caesar and Mark Antony

Cleopatra and Antony: Power, Love, and Politics in the Ancient World by Diana Preston. The story of the world's best-remembered celebrity couple, set against the political backdrop of their time.

Antony & Cleopatra by Patricia Southern. Cleopatra was determined to reconstitute the ancient empire of the Ptolemies, a goal Mark Antony worked diligently to achieve. But their blending of politics and romance led to the ruin of their lives.

Life of Antony by Plutarch, edited by C.B.R. Pelling. One of the best ancient sources for information on Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Plutarch lived a century after Cleopatra.

More Books About Julius Caesar

Cleopatra's Dynasty

The Last Queens of Egypt: Cleopatra's Royal House by Sally-Ann Ashton. Examines the roles played by Ptolemaic royal women, the extent of their power, the price they paid, and how they shaped Cleopatra's reign.

The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene: Royal Scholarship on Rome's African Frontier by Duane W. Roller. The first English-language study of Juba II (48BC - AD 23), ruler of the African kingdom of Mauretania, and his wife Cleopatra Selene (daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra).

Portraits of the Ptolemies: Greek Kings As Egyptian Pharaohs by Paul Edmund Stanwick. Discusses sculptures of the Ptolemies, their chronology, and how they helped legitimate the dynasty.

The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305-30 BC by J. G. Manning. Examines the relationship of the Ptolemaic kings to Egyptian society. Neither fully Greek nor wholly Egyptian, the Ptolemaic state was a hybrid that did not break with Egyptian history.

More Books About the Hellenistic World

Cleopatra's Reign & Era

The Reign of Cleopatra by Stanley Burstein. Ambitious and intelligent, Cleopatra lived her whole life at the center of a complex power struggle.

Cleopatra and Egypt by Sally-Ann Ashton. Biography illustrated with over 40 images.

Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra by Michel Chauveau, translated by David Lorton. Looks at many facets of life under this queen and her dynasty, such as funeral customs, language and writing, social class structure, religion, and administration.

The Life and Times of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt: A Study in the Origin of the Roman Empire by Arthur E. P. Brome Weigall. A balanced look at Cleopatra and the world in which she lived. Includes maps and illustrations.

Portrayals of Cleopatra

Cleopatra and Rome by Diane E. E. Kleiner. This illustrated book surveys works of art and other remnants that chronicle Cleopatra's legend and her mark on the art of imperial Rome.

Becoming Cleopatra: The Shifting Image of an Icon by Francesca Royster. Moving from Shakespeare's England to contemporary Los Angeles, the author looks at race and sexuality in portrayals of Cleopatra.

Cleopatra of Egypt: From History to Myth edited by Susan Walker and Peter Higgs. This lavishly illustrated catalogue from a major international exhibition explores how Cleopatra was depicted in her own era and in later times. More than 350 color illustrations.

The Portland Vase: The Extraordinary Odyssey of a Mysterious Roman Treasure by Robin Brooks. According to one theory, this first century BC Roman vase depicts Cleopatra and Mark Antony.

Signs of Cleopatra: Reading an Icon Historically by Mary Hamer. How Cleopatra has been imagined by writers and artists through the ages, and her role as a focus for cultural debate.

Cleopatra: Histories, Dreams and Distortions by Lucy Hughes-Hallett. A look at how Cleopatra has been depicted throughout history in advertising, paintings, and movies. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Fiction

The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George. A lengthy, well-written fictional autobiography of the Egyptian queen.

The October Horse by Colleen McCullough. A novel about Caesar, Cleopatra and the fall of the Roman republic, by the author of The Thorn Birds and other bestsellers.

Antony and Cleopatra: A Novel by Colleen McCullough. Caesar is dead, and Rome is divided. Cleopatra, the ruthless queen, welcomes Antony to her court and her bed but keeps her heart well guarded.

When We Were Gods: The Story of Cleopatra by Colin Falconer. Takes the reader inside the walls of Alexandria's great palaces and into Cleopatra's heart, portraying a woman who triumphed in a world ruled by men.

Hand of Isis by Jo Graham. Charmian is Cleopatra's half sister, daughter of Pharaoh and a woman of the harem. She must face foes seen and unseen in a battle for her family, her love and her gods.

Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel by Michelle Moran. After the deaths of their parents, Cleopatra and Marc Antony, twins Selene and Alexander come of age in the household of Roman emperor Octavian (Augustus).

Cleopatra's Heir by Gillian Bradshaw. Novel that imagines what might have happened if Caesarion, son of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra, had survived to adulthood.

Cleopatra Dismounts by Carmen Boullosa, translated by Geoff Hargreaves. A novel about the life of Cleopatra.

Kleopatra by Karen Essex. Novel about Cleopatra's early years. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Pharaoh by Karen Essex. This sequel to Kleopatra continues Cleopatra's life story. From Alibris.

Plays

Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare. This play was first produced around 1607.

All for Love: The World Well Lost by John Dryden and William-Alan Landes. A late 17th century play.

Caesar and Cleopatra: A History by George Bernard Shaw. This play was first produced in 1899.

Ancient Egypt

Books About Ancient Egypt
Books About Women in Ancient Egypt

Children's Books

Cleopatra by Struan Reid. Biography for children ages 4 to 8.

Cleopatra by Janeen R. Adil. Fun facts and amazing photos for children ages 4 to 8.

You Wouldn't Want to Be Cleopatra! An Egyptian Ruler You'd Rather Not Be by Jim Pipe, illustrated by David Antram. Nonfiction for children ages 4 to 8.

Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen by Susan Blackaby. Biography for children ages 9 to 12.

DK Discoveries: Cleopatra: The Queen of Kings by Fiona MacDonald, illustrated by Chris Molan. For children ages 9-12.

The Life & Times of Cleopatra by Michelle Medlock Adams. Biography for children ages 9 to 12.

Cleopatra by Jane Bingham. Biography for children ages 9 to 12.

True Lives: Cleopatra by Haydn Middleton. Biography for children ages 9 to 12.

Cleopatra: Ruling in the Shadow of Rome by Julian Morgan. Biography for children ages 9-12.

Cleopatra: Queen of Ancient Egypt by Richard Worth. Biography for children ages 9 to 12.

Also for ages 9 to 12: Cleopatra by Robert Green; Cleopatra: The Life of an Egyptian Queen by Gary Jeffrey; Cleopatra by Ron Miller and Sommer Browning, Cleopatra: Ruler of Egypt by Kerrily Sapet; Cleopatra by Peter Vennema, illustrated by Diane Stanley; and Queen Cleopatra by Tom Streissguth.

Cleopatra, Daughter of the Nile by Kristiana Gregory. Fiction for children ages 9 to 12, from the popular "Royal Diaries" series.

Cleopatra and the King's Enemies by Joan Holub, illustrated by Nonna Aleshina. Fiction for children ages 9 to 12.

Cleopatra Paper Doll by Tom Tierney.

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Movies and Documentaries

These DVDs are formatted for North American audiences.

Cleopatra: Destiny's Queen. Documentary from A&E's Biography series.

Digging for the Truth: Cleopatra, the Last Pharaoh. Though her name has been immortalized in myth and legend, Cleopatra was the last of the pharaohs. Why? From the History Channel/A&E.

Cleopatra's World: Alexandria Revealed. This documentary visits the ruins of the city that was the capital of Cleopatra's empire. The world's leading scholars share their insights and discoveries about the legendary queen. The picture that emerges goes far beyond the familiar tales of a temptress. From the History Channel/A&E.

Cleopatra: The First Woman of Power. Anjelica Huston narrates this film, which uses footage from Hollywood, contemporary shots of the Mediterranean, and interviews with historians to show a strong woman whose nobility survives centuries of slander.

Cleopatra starring Claudette Colbert. Entertaining 1934 movie. This DVD collection also includes four other movies directed by Cecil B. DeMille.

Cleopatra. The famous 1963 epic, with Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra and Richard Burton as Mark Antony. Rex Harrison portrays Caesar.

Cleopatra. Campy 1999 TV movie starring Leonor Varela as the queen, Timothy Dalton as Caesar, and Billy Zane as Mark Antony.

More Documentaries About Ancient Egypt
Movies & Documentaries About Caesar