Josiah Osgood is professor of classics at Georgetown University and holds a PhD from Yale University. A winner of the Rome Prize, he is the author of five books on Roman history and the translator and editor of How to Be a Bad Emperor, a 2020 edition of Suetonius's Lives of the Caesars. He lives in Washington, DC.
"The story that Osgood tells so clearly, learnedly, and engagingly
does indeed illuminate the lasting costs of polarised conflict. But
it may also be in noticing and delineating the gulf between
ourselves and the ancient world that we may adopt some sharper
diagnostic tools for resisting the contemporary varieties of
all-or-nothing stand-offs in politics - the confrontations that
block the way to patient problem-solving for the sake of a common
good."--The New Statesman
"Osgood writes with great clarity... It takes skill to bring the
reader as close to the complex events of the Late Republic as
this... It is a sign of a good book when the ending comes as a
pulse-quickening surprise - even to those who already know what is
coming."--The Critic
"This well-written book, underpinned by profound erudition,
deserves the widest readership."--The Sunday Telegraph
"[An] incisive and accessible dual biography of Julius Caesar and
Cato the Younger focused on their shared responsibility for the
Roman Republic's downfall... Along the way, Osgood issues incisive
warnings about the dangers of polarization that resonate with
today's political landscape and vividly describes the era's
religious rituals, military battles, and Senate debates... He
builds a persuasive and entertaining case. Roman history buffs will
be intrigued."--Publishers Weekly
"Uncommon Wrath is a riveting re-telling of the violent end of the
Roman Republic. By restoring Cato to the center of the story,
Osgood reminds us that this symbol of old-fashioned virtue was not
just a myth, but a leader nearly as crafty as his hated rival. Here
is a vivid and human-scale account, whose focus on partisanship and
political rivalry makes for a resonant and all-too-timely
reflection."
--Kyle Harper, author of The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and
the End of an Empire
"A brilliant dual biography of Caesar and Cato: two titanic
personalities whose fame illumined the death throes of the Roman
Republic and continues to blaze to this day."--Tom Holland, author
of Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic
"A gripping account of the rivalry between Julius Caesar and Cato,
two men at the heart of the political dysfunction that brought down
Rome's Republic. This is the rare book that warns us about the
dangers of the modern political moment while offering a nuanced and
insightful analysis of the character of some of Rome's most famous
leaders."--Edward Watts, author of Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell
into Tyranny
"Lively, literate, and readable, Uncommon Wrath is all that you
could want in a book on one of the most destructive feuds in
history. As Osgood recounts, Cato and Caesar's refusal to
compromise did much to destabilize the Roman Republic. Informed by
scholarship and executed with grace."--Barry Strauss, author of The
War that Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at
Actium
"The respective sagas of Cato and Caesar, always timely, seem even
more so in today's America. Osgood's interwoven retelling of their
raucous and violent careers, and their impact on a tottering
republic, makes for compelling reading."--Steven Saylor, author of
Dominus: A Novel of the Roman Empire
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