Robert Dennis Harris is an English novelist and born on 7 March 1957. He is also a famous journalist and television reporter at BBC. He started his career in non-fiction, but his fame depends upon the works of historical fiction. The most recent works of Robert Harris centre on contemporary history. Harris started his education at Selwyn College, Cambridge where he was the president of Union and editor of student newspaper Varsity.
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Robert Harris as a Writer
His ambition to become a writer arose from a young age, and he wrote many plays and edited school magazines. At the age of thirty in 1987, he became the political editor of the Observer and later wrote regular columns for Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph.
Top Books of Robert Harris
Robert Harris was also awarded as the Columnist of the year in the 2003 British Press Awards. He lives in Berkshire and also a member of the Royal Society of Literature. Robert Harris is also the author of 13 best-selling novels and also interested in writing about the history of the Roman Empire. In this article, we are going to discuss Robert Harris’ best books of all time.
1. Dictator: A Novel-Review
This novel, written by Robert Harris consists of 416 pages. The greatest orator of his time Cicero at the age of forty-eight sacrificed all his powers on the altar of his principles. The only way for him to return Rome was to pledge his support to a dangerous enemy-Julius Caesar. Cicero fights his way back to prominence, and yet no public figure is completely safeguarded against the unscrupulous ambition of others.
The dictator also highlights the most epic events in ancient history, including the collapse of the Roman Republic, the murder of Pompey, and the assassination of Caesar. The dictator also raises many questions, such as:
-How to keep political freedom unsullied by personal gain, vested interests and corrosive effects of foreign wars?
A novel “Dictator” portrays Cicero who is a deeply fascinating hero for his time and ours also.
2. Pompeii: A Novel-Review
This novel is written by Robert Harris and consists of 304 pages. The Roman empire’s richest citizens along the coast in the last days of summer. Moreover, the tourists visiting these areas are spending their money in seaside resorts of Baiao, Herculaneum and Pompeii.
But the gorgeous weather leaves one man in worry, and the younger engineer Marcus Attilius Primus takes charge of Aqua Augusta. He also brings fresh water to a quarter of a million people in nine towns around the Bay of Naples. His predecessor also vanished. Springs are falling for the first time in generations, and now there is a crisis on Augusta’s six-mile line. Later, Attilius promises Pliny that he can repair the aqueduct before the reservoir runs dry and he plans to travel Pompeii and put it together as an expedition.
On the other hand, Pompeii proves himself to be a corrupt and violent town, and Attilius soon realizes that there are many powerful forces at work threatening to harm him. In Pompeii, Robert Harris, with his intelligence and being the best-selling author recreates a world on the bank of disaster.
3. Fatherland-Review
This novel is also written by New York Times bestseller “Robert Harris” and discusses a murder mystery set in a world where the Nazis won world war II for the fans of Plot against America and The Man in High Castle.
The story of the novel revolves around The Greater German Reich who stretches from the Rhine to the Urals maintaining an uneasy peace with its rival, USA. Fatherland makes arrangements for grand celebrations of Adolf Hitler’s 75th birthday and anticipates a conciliatory visit from US president Joseph Kennedy.
Charles Lindbergh, a detective, is called out to investigate the dead body found in a lake near Berlin’s most prestigious suburb.
Later Xavier March finds out the identity of the body and also uncovers the signs of conspiracy related to German Reich. On the other hand, March along with American journalist Charlotte Maguire is caught up in a race to discover and reveal the truth.
This truth has already killed, could topple governments and will change history. The novel “fatherland” has received five-star ratings on Amazon and available in different formats.
4. An Officer and a Spy: Novel-Review
This novel is also written by national bestseller “Robert Harris” and also available in Kindle edition. Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of treason and held in imprisonment on a far-off island, and his rank was also taken from him. And there was an ambitious military officer among the witnesses to his humiliations who believes in Dreyfus guilty as any member of the public.
A few years later, he was promoted to the head of the French counter-espionage agency. Picquart also finds out the evidence that a spy is still present in the Military and indicates that Dreyfus is innocent. Evidence of the most malignant spirals towards the uppermost levels of government, Picquart is compelled to question not only the case against Dreyfus but also strong beliefs about the country and himself.
An officer and a Spy novel comprise 449 pages, and you can easily get it for $9.99. It is also the winner of Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction and winner of American library in Paris book award.
5. Imperium- A Novel of Ancient Rome-Review
After Fatherland and Pompeii, it is the first novel of the trilogy written by Robert Harris about the struggle for power in Ancient Rome. Robert Harris being the master of historical fiction lures readers back in time to the compelling life of Roman Senator Marcus Cicero. This novel imperium follows Cicero’s extraordinary struggle to get supreme power in Rome.
It also highlights the recreation of a vanished biography written by his household slave and right-hand man Trio. The story revolves around a cold November morning when the trio opens the door to find a stranger begging for help. The man was robbed by the corrupt Roman governor, Verres, who is now trying to convict him under pretences and sentence him to a violent death. He also claims that only great lawyer Marcus Cicero can bring justice in the corrupt society of Rome. But the novel gives Cicero a chance to prove himself worthy of absolute power.
Conclusion
This article is about the best books by Robert Harris, and you can choose any one of your choices.
