Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

[warriorofworry]

A well-researched, eminently readable biography without artificial fictionalization of the often bowdlerized final  Ptolemaic  ruler of Egypt.  Schiff brings a feminist view to the party, quietly pointing out  just how thoroughly Cleopatra has been demonized even while remaining the object of fascination through the ages.  More importantly, this work outlines Cleopatra's effectiveness as a ruler, a point often lost in the romance of her story.  4 stars