A modern feminist classic
- Rachel Cooke, Observer
With clearsightedness and wry humour, this self-described 'gobby woman' proves public speech is no longer the preserve of maleness. More power to her.
- Laura Garmeson, FT
... exposes the roots of today's expectations of how a woman should behave ... time for a change, she argues - and now!
- Jenni Murray, Guardian
This book is a treasure, both as a fascinating read in itself and as a fine work of reference to correct our lazy misconceptions about an ancient world that still has much to instruct us today
Herald
An urgent feminist cri de coeur, spot-on in its utterly reasonable plea that a woman 'who dares to open her mouth in public' actually be given a hearing.
Kirkus Reviews
Brilliant
- Jacqueline Rose, Guardian
Enlightening ... explains how misogyny works and why it is so resilient
- Elif Shafak, Guardian
A sparkling and forceful manifesto
New York Times
Clear, rich, subversive and witty
San Francisco Chronicle
An irresistible call for women to speak up, act and redefine their power
People Magazine
Praise for Mary Beard: 'She's pulled off that rare trick of becoming a don with a high media profile who hasn't sold out, who is absolutely respected by the academy for her scholarship ... what she says is always powerful and interesting
Guardian
An irrepressible enthusiast with a refreshing disregard for convention
FT
With such a champion as Beard to debunk and popularise, the future of the study of classics is assured
Daily Telegraph
Dynamically, wittily and authoritatively brings the ancient world to life
- Simon Sebag Montefiore,
Praise for SPQR: Fast-moving, exciting, psychologically acute, warmly sceptical - Bryan Appleyard
- Bryan Appleyard, Sunday Times
Vastly engaging ... a tremendously enjoyable and scholarly read
- Natalie Haynes, Observer
Sustaining the energy that such a topic demands for more than 600 pages, while providing a coherent answer to the question of why Rome expanded so spectacularly, is hugely ambitious. Beard succeeds triumphantly ... full of insights and delights ... SPQR is consistently enlivened by Beard's eye for detail and her excellent sense of humour.
Sunday Times
Masterful ... This is exemplary popular history, engaging but never dumbed down, providing both the grand sweep and the intimate details that bring the distant past vividly to life
Economist
Ground-breaking ... invigorating ... revolutionary ... a whole new approach to ancient history
- Thomas Hodgkinson, Spectator
Selected as one of the 100 best books of the 21st century: An instant feminist classic
The Guardian