Author Philip Katz

Philip Katz is the author of the Imperator – Life of Caesar series.

Philip Katz’ novel Imperator (victorious general) is a fictional recreation of the life of the greatest of all Romans, Gaius Julius Caesar. It is a personal memoir written in the first person and suppressed by Caesar’s successors only to be rediscovered in modern times.

Imperator

The Life of Gaius Julius Caesar

A Fictional Recreation of the Life of the Greatest of All Romans
by Philip Katz

List Price: $24.95 – Hardcover

ISBN: 978-0-9832800-0-2
Printed: 192 pages, 6″ x 9″, hardcover, black & white interior ink.
Publisher: Copperhill Media Corporation
Copyright: © 2011 by Philip Katz
Language: English
Country: United States of America
Edition: First Edition

Ordering Information

Copperhill Media Corporation (Publisher)

Imperator On Kindle Kindle Store – USA

Kindle Store – United Kingdom

About the Book

From Western civilization’s greatest empire came history’s most gifted and accomplished man. Emerging from a society populated by powerful men with great ambitions, against a backdrop of social change and political upheaval, one man stood as a giant among men. Almost more than a man, he was an irresistible force of nature.

“Imperator – The Life of Gaius Julius Caesar” by Philip Katz is a fictional recreation of the life of the greatest of all Romans, Gaius Julius Caesar. It is a personal memoir, the inside story of his world as viewed through his eyes, written in the first person, suppressed by Caesar’s successors, only to be rediscovered in modern times.

Born to one of Rome’s most prestigious families, Caesar went on to conquer all of Western Europe in the name of Rome. He then conquered Rome to liberate his countrymen from a corrupt Senate. Caesar’s energy, intellect, and desire for achievement brought him the jealousy and animosity of his peers along with enormous political opposition. Ultimately, his fight against the corrupt, political establishment and his quest for a more sustainable society brought him into direct conflict with the ruling class of Rome.

Gaius Julius Caesar begins writing his life story on the heels of the Alexandrian war while spending some time on the Nile in the company of Cleopatra, Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt, reflecting on the halcyon days of his childhood that quickly gave way to smoldering hostilities between the great men of the state, followed by the burst into the conflagration of civil war.

The lack of information about Caesar’s early life makes these formative years of particular importance to the narrative as his character and motivations are placed in the context of recorded history.

The reader is invited to step back two thousand years to witness the collapse of the Republic that subjugated the entire Mediterranean world but could not govern itself.

With “Imperator – The Life of Gaius Julius Caesar” author Philip Katz creates an atmosphere in which ancient Rome comes back to life, seen through the eyes of the man who was the principle instrument of fortune and change, Gaius Julius Caesar.

Review

Author Philip Katz set out to write “Imperator” because he felt he could bring a unique layman’s point of view to the subject of Gaius Julius Caesar and the fall of the Roman Republic, free from the traditional dogmatic approach taken by the academic community. In addition, he believes the tale of the fall of the Roman Republic is a timely and relevant, cautionary tale for the 21st century America.

In his own words, “It is far too simplistic to attribute Caesar’s vast accomplishments to ambition and lust for absolute power alone. While Caesar was referred to commonly as tyrant and was allegedly assassinated for the same reason, Caesar never altered the Republican form of government, which he is accused of destroying. Closer examination of the facts presented in the extant sources only make sense when seen in context of an extremely complex personality capable of great compassion for individuals and what was seemingly cold disregard for the lives of millions. In the pages of Imperator a character comes into focus from the extant documents of the period taking into account just how subjective these accounts were. In fact, most of the sources for the period, with the notable exception of Caesar’s own writings and those of the orator Cicero, were written many years after the time of Caesar and were written by those opposed to the factions to whom Caesar belonged. The story of Caesar must be viewed within the context of the unique time in which he lived and the unique situation into which he was born.”

“Imperator – The Life of Gaius Julius Caesar” is a fictional recreation of the life of the greatest of all Romans.

In present days’ Rome, namely at the Bibliotheca Casanatense, the senior curator, accompanied by a team of scientists and students, receives the first of ten volumes representing the personal memoir of Julius Caesar, which were suppressed by Caesar’s successors. The volumes were kept and protected by Ethiopa’s Jewish community, the Beta Israel, for over two thousand years until a time when a publication was deemed safe.

“Imperator” by Philip Katz represents this first volume, and it covers Caesar’s early years, reflecting on the golden days of his childhood that quickly gave way to hostilities between the great men of the state, followed by blaze of civil war. Reading “Imperator” made me feel and live the atmosphere of ancient Rome, and understanding the Gaius Julius Caesar as Katz envisions him.

Katz has invested some substantial research and passion into the subject of the otherwise sparsely recorded history of Caesar’s childhood, and it reflects in the details of his writing. “Imperator” is a must-read for everybody interested in Roman history.

- Wilfried F. Voss, Author of The Bleeding Hills

Philip Katz’s Recent Posts

Hollywood Watch: Young Adult Novels and Historical Fiction Converge in Hollywood
By Philip Katz Author of IMPERATOR With "Seventh Son" scheduled to shoot this summer and a screenplay being penned about the teenage years of Julius Caesar Warner Brothers increases the commitment to their young audiences. Following on the immense growth in Young Adult Novel's popularity in the age of Kindle it would [More...]
Hollywood Watch: Katz Pitches IMPERATOR as Tentpole Feature Film
By Philip Katz the Author of IMPERATOR It seems that Caesar's Time has come in Hollywood. While the genre of Classical History has not made a big splash at the box office in recent years, Warner Brothers has inked a 2 picture deal to make movies about Julius Caesar with a [More...]
Why Assissinate Caesar?
By Philip Katz the Author of IMPERATOR copyright 2011 Caesar’s great accomplishments during his governorship of the Roman Gallic Province(Southern France) and Illyria(Balkans) were unmatched, even by his friend and fellow Triumvir, Pompey the Great. Caesar had amassed unprecedented honors and added all of Western Europe to Rome’s growing Empire. His achievements in politics, oratory, literature, [More...]
IMPERATOR excerpt “Pleasure”
Historical Fiction By Philip Katz From the Memoir of Julius Caesar; Young Caesar and his friend Pompey enjoy Rome’s entertainments. …“If anyone gives you any trouble in here you tell me, I’ll take care of it.” Lucius said as he opened the door. We walked out of the moldering darkness of the Subura into another [More...]
Introduction to Ancient Roman Religion
By Philip Katz the author of IMPERATOR Rome’s Religion Rome’s religion predates the founding of the City in 753 BC, and like Rome herself, grew out of an agrarian society which was centered on the home, family and the family’s hearth. While one can only speak in generalities when referring to early Roman religious practices, [More...]