The Commentaries

By: Julius Caesar

Narrated by: Charlton Griffin

Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Julius Caesar wrote his exciting Commentaries during some of the most grueling campaigns ever undertaken by a Roman army. The Gallic Wars and The Civil Wars constitute the greatest series of military dispatches ever written. As literature, they are representative of the finest expressions of Latin prose in its "golden" age, a benchmark of elegant style and masculine brevity imitated by young schoolboys for centuries.

One of the most daring and brilliant generals of all time, Julius Caesar combined the elements of tactical genius with the shrewdness of a master politician. He was an astute judge of men's character - their strengths and weaknesses. Whenever possible, he exercised restraint and mercy even when his worst enemies were in his power. But he also knew when and how to mete out stern punishment and his swift retaliations became a hallmark of his career. With his charismatic leadership, his powerful intellect and his magnetic personal charm, Julius Caesar became the idol of men and women everywhere. The fanatic loyalty of his troops and the adulation of the Roman public propelled him to the pinnacle of power. Historian Will Durant called him "the most complete man that antiquity produced."

Follow along in this recording as Julius Caesar in 50 B.C. undertakes the awesome enterprise of subduing savage Gaul, an area roughly the size of Texas. That task was barely completed before his enemies in Rome struck, igniting the bloody Civil War that engulfed most of the Roman Empire and afterward left Caesar in supreme power.

Public Domain (P)2009 Audio Connoisseur

so cool

so cool to listen to the words of a person that lived 2000 years ago.

The Commentaries

It is a great work of literary knowledge about the campaigns of Julius Caesar. Although, some of the information is not as reliable as people would think, it is still a novel that people should behold. I do believe people should write something such as this again. Bestowing great knowledge on others will support their success in life. Thee are great and prosperous, keep that in mind. Remember if you are in affliction of the greatest sense, turn to a inspiring work.

My favourite audiobook

I've had this book for over a year and have probably listened to it end to end 3 times. Caesar was an incredibly lucid writer... and a crafty one. If you're paying attention you can see all the places where he's pulling a fast one. Griffin is perfect.

Dreadfully false sounding accent !

As a Brit, I can only wonder whether the Narrator was trying to sound English and Churchillian (in which case he fails, it sounds terribly false) or whether thats his natural US accent ( note to anyone from the US - the English do not pronounce "route" as "rout", so the narrator is clearly not British).

The translation is fairly clear and the narration is otherwise done well. However the choice of accent distracts at times.

Overall, if you can live with the accent its a reasonable audiobook, and worth a credit .

Very interesting

The accounts of the Gaelic Wars are interesting, but I found the section about Rome's Civil War fascinating. This time, both sides had Roman generals, with Roman equipment and tactics. They built forts, dams, bridges, and even ships almost overnight. They moved with speed and cunning. There were heroes and traitors on both sides. This is a powerful tale.

griffin

if you have any interest in julius this book is where it's at. tales of heroism, courage, and Caesar's beloved 10th Legion. It's like an audio book of the hbo series ROME.
I didn't know Charlton Griffin the narrator before this book but after listening to him im now hooked. His voice and style brings things alive like im in the war room with Caesar himself. Mr Griffin found his calling in life and will never be outdone by anyone else who reads in this field.

Best book on Audible

the story is well written and the voice narration is perfect this is the best book I have listened to on Audible

Well-behaved Romans seldom Make History

Commentarii de Bello Gallico:

While listening to the Commentaries, I kept jumping back and forth between my Loeb Classics version of The Gallic War and my Penguin Classics version of The Conquest of Gaul (wishing that Landmark would publish their version). Reading/listening to Caesar makes me want to go back and learn Latin (the Loeb Classics keep seductively singing to me of the benefits of a Latin education). Anyway, I only meant to start the The Conquest of Gaul today, but the compelling narrative of Caesar's Gallic War (the record of his battles against Vercingetorix and the other chieftains) was just too damn compelling.

It is hard to underestimate the importance of JC (no not THAT JC) in terms of military strategy, political acumen, propagandistic spin, and his shrewd combination of prudent warfare and bold action. There are certain men who get caught up in history and certain men who make history and Caesar, even without his spin, sits pretty near the top of the heap with those other Übermensch who make history.

Commentarii de Bello Civili:

War is hell obviously, but a civil war is a unique form of Hades (a Haidēs of many shaidēs?). The sides are more amorphous, permeable, ambiguous. There is a reluctance to kill a soldier that last year you considered a friend or a brother. While war often requires thinking beyond strategy and tactics, a civil war pushes those skills to the extreme. How do you limit the blood lust of your soldiers when they are confronting a group that might easily be conveyed into a future asset? How do you break an opponent's spirit without destroying the enemy or turning them into an enemy? How do you maintain a paid army's loyalty without pay? How do you keep your friends from deserting you after a devastating loss? Now, do all of this while still not alienating those fickle friends in Rome.

You know it you’ve read it. It’s a great listen!

Studied this in High School used in Latin class. More than 50 years later I was bitten by the Roman History bug. Charlton Griffin the has perfect voice for these works I have many perhaps most in my Audiobook library he has some Cicero speeches that just grab you by the neck and your sitting in the Senate house or a Temple listening live inching away from Catalina. So very well done. I don’t see a credit for the translation but that also is to the point. I have listened at least 3 times through over the years that I have had it. As a additional bonus I don’t have to struggle with difficulties of pronunciation the just rolls off Charlton’s tongue. It’s a must have.

Very interesting, well done.

My knowledge of Julius Caesar was limited to his time in Egypt, which I believe put him on the path to the other thing I knew, the Ides of March. His commentaries have given him a chance to convince me that he was truly a historical figure to be counted among the greatest. In the current days of fake news it is easy to blow this off as nothing more than propaganda, a written selfie so to speak. One thing is for sure, he was very good in the Roman ways of warfare, even creating new devices and methods in an age where war was of upmost importance.