Cleopatra: Daughter of the Nile

'Spectacular historical fiction blazing with intrigue, romance and dramatic action' - Booklist A wonderful story ... not just a rehash of history but rather a refreshing look at this clever and charismatic leader ... pulsating with the passion of a woman.' - Womens Weekly Book of the Month 'Makes dry history into a real rip-roaring read. In Falconer's hands, Cleopatra is a smart, sexy and sassy heroine.' - Australian Womens Forum Book of the Month Cleopatra VII of Egypt was barely more than a girl when she inherited the richest empire in the world - one that stretched from the scorching deserts of lower Egypt to the shining Mediterranean metropolis of Alexandria with its famed library and lighthouse. Imperilled at every turn by court conspiracies and Roman treachery, the young Queen was forced to flee Alexandria and live in exile while a foreign army overran her city and her own family plotted her downfall. With nothing to lose, Cleopatra sought a partnership with the only man who could secure Egypt's safety: Julius Caesar, a wily politician and battle-hardened general with a weakness for women. The result was a passionate love affair that scandalized Rome and thrust Cleopatra into a world of deadly intrigue played for the very highest stakes - a world she would continue to mesmerize and manipulate even after Caesar was gone. At the height of her power and fame, Cleopatra fell in love with Caesar's successor, Marc Antony, a general known as much for his drunken hedonism as his victories in battle. Brash, irresistible and fatally unreliable Antony's once-strong hold on the Roman empire soon slips away, and with it Cleopatra's fortunes. When the tide finally turns against Cleopatra and Anthony her she plots a last, spectacular manoeuvre to save her children, her empire, and her place among the gods. There is no woman in history that excites the curiosity or the imagination like Cleopatra. A life as poignant as it was inspired, this daughter of the Nile simply had no equal in a world ruled by men. As the last queen of Egypt, she remains one of the most enigmatic figures in historical fiction. Her enemies told so many lies to bring her down; how many do we still believe? Who was Cleopatra Daughter of the Nile? 'This is the riveting story of Egypt’s last and greatest queen, a look at Cleopatra, the great woman behind the legend. In this new and revised edition - the director's cut - takes the reader inside the walls of Alexandria's great palaces, creating a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman who thrived and triumphed in a world ruled by men. 'Falconer's Cleopatra is vulnerable, intelligent and liberated, defined by her wit as much as her beauty' - Publishers Weekly 'Falconer paints an enthralling fictional portrait of the one of the most powerful and beguiling women of all ages.' - Margaret Flanagan, American Library Association