“This is an erudite, nuanced, and engrossing portrait of a turbulent era and of an empress demonized for refusing to be invisible.” —Publishers Weekly

“A fine biography. . . . [Dennison] has produced a scholarly but highly accessible book about the woman who--through chance, dress, behaviour and her own undeniable determination--was able to make the Empire her own.” —Lindsey Davis, New York Times bestselling author of Alexandria

“British journalist Dennison deftly sifts the historical record for a portrait of a woman in the right place at the right time. . . . Dennison does a nice job of defending this fascinating character from "demonization" through the centuries, and knowledgeably considers many facets of Roman history, including religion, the place of women and children, family life and iconography. A deeply considered look at women and power in the late Roman age.” —Kirkus Review

“Dennison attempts to set the historical record straight in this balanced biography of one of the most maligned females in ancient history: Portrayed in both fact (The Histories and The Annals) and fiction (L Claudius, anyone?) as a serial poisoner who would stop at nothing to ensure that her son Tiberius succeeded his stepfather, Augustus, as emperor of Rome, the Livia that is resurrected here is far from the femme fatale of legend. . . . Ancient Rome always appeals, and it is nice to see an unjustly tarnished reputation polished up for posterity.” —Booklist

“[A] richness of detail gives readers a solid foothold for understanding the complex traditions, customs, and politics of the era. . . . aficionados of Roman history, social history, women's history, or biography will enjoy the wealth of information.” —Library Journal

“Learned, engrossing and pacey new biography . . . Dennison combines a healthy scepticism towards his sources with an alertness to all that made the career of his heroine authentically remarkable . . . His achievement, in this consistently entertaining biography, is to remind us that a politician with a clever and supportive wife is a fortunate man indeed.” —Mail on Sunday (UK)

“An engrossing and persuasive portrait of one of history's most influential women.” —Independent (UK)

“Well-researched . . . full of delightful detail.” —Daily Mail (UK)

“Dennison excels at exploring the iconography of Livia . . . his analysis is exemplary . . . Balanced, scholarly and yet accessible, this is very good history indeed.” —Country Life (UK)

“A powerful new life of Livia . . . refreshingly free of cant.” —The Herald (UK)