I, Claudius and Claudius the God (Penguin Modern Classics)

Two wonderfully crafted books about the life of Claudius Nero who became Rome's fourth emperor after the murder of Gaius Caesar, his nephew. The first book covers Roman life in the imperial family from the reign of Augustus Caesar to Claudius being acclaimed Caesar by the Imperial Guard. Based mainly on the works of Tacitus and Suetonius, two of Rome's early historians, Graves creates a book full of intrigue and manages to bring us inside a world of murder and double dealing in Rome's inner circles. The imperial family comes to life in this well written and informative book. The second volume, Claudius the God, is equal in it's scope although it only covers the life and reign of Claudius. Graves does a masterful job of bringing these early Romans to life.