Antony and Cleopatra

Yesterday I finished reading Colleen McCullough's "Antony and Cleopatra" (I know, it's not an 87th book!). I really enjoyed McCullough's "The October Horse", about Julius Caesar. This one was good, too, but it was more about Caesar's nephew, Octavian, then Antony or Cleopatra, and Octavian comes out looking better (at least until the end). Antony is portrayed as a dimwitted alcoholic bumbler; Cleopatra as an ugly, shrewish harpy who only had a minimal amount of success ruling her country because of luck rather than skill. Roman history is fascinating, though, and McCullough masterfully weaves fiction with reality. If you're a fan of Shakespeare's version of their love story, though, this will shatter illusions.