My rating might mostly come from struggling with nonfiction, but I found it still very well done and I learned a ton! I’ve always been intrigued by Cleopatra, but I wasn’t eager to pick up this book between readings/listenings. The narrator was great and I would recommend it to others interested in Cleopatra and the way of life during that time. 

I enjoyed this audiobook. Like millions of others, I have always been fascinated by Cleopatra. Having recently watched the Netflix documentary Queen Cleopatra I realized that while I had read several fictional accounts of her life I had never read a nonfiction account. 

I appreciate how Schiff could discuss Cleopatra's life without shifting away from her as the central character too much. Women throughout history are not often well documented and given that Cleopatra lost her final battle to Octavian, having actual evidence from her lifetime is even more difficult. Under similar circumstances, it would be easy for the author to use the men in her life or the surrounding events to provide the majority of the book while only discussing the main topic sparingly. However, Schiff did an excellent job of relating everything to Cleopatra whether it was discussing her potential thoughts or motives or using the evidence to tie everything together. 

I will preface this next statement by saying it is the first biography I have read of Cleopatra, but I do think that this was a well thought-out and comprehensive view of the Egyptian Pharaoh. I would recommend.

This was one of the most impressive biography’s I have read in a while! Since we know little about cleopatra’s life from factual evidence, it is difficult to create an entirely accurate depiction of her. That being said, Schmidt referenced numerous sources, from science to Shakespeare, to help us understand this great women better. 
I would not recommend this as a entry into nonfiction, since it can be a bit challenging to follow. However, for those well versed in the genre and interested, I would highly recommend Cleopatra: A Life.