Cleopatra was Jasmine.

Cleopatra? Knew Julius Caesar? And *knew* Julius Caesar?

Yes, more History Channel for you. Or may I recommend The Cartoon History of the Universe? The section on Arab history cleared up a lot of Middle Eastern confusion for me.

Won't the History Channel only give you WWII?

That new Cleopatra book sounds great.

It's really well written and scrupulously researched, pulling apart the myth from the known fact and admitting where the speculation is and also placing various historical accounts into context (basically by noting who had a grudge).

Cleopatra tidbits: She spoke nine languages fluently. Cicero complained bitterly that she could make people laugh against her will. She was very quick to laugh and incredibly charming. She was not however one of the great beauties of the age - attractive, but not a legendary beauty like Alexander the Great's mother, or Herod's wife. She was the chief executive of the Egyptian state and as such ran the army, and the economy and handled all the diplomacy. She was a very smart cookie. She wore her hair in the Greek style - bundled low on the back of her neck. She was one of the two richest people in the world. She had one child with Caeser and three with Mark Antony. She had a civil war with her brother and defeated him before she was 21. She had her ambitious, conniving sister killed. No asp - she most likely took poison. She made the Romans insecure because she was so much more sophisticated and richer.

She was the last ruler over Egypt as an independent state until the 20th century.

Won't the History Channel only give you WWII?

They don't call it the Hitler Channel for nothing.

Won't the History Channel only give you WWII?

They'll also tell you about the Freemasons and sex. (Two separate topics. Not Freemasons having sex. But they have many shows about Freemasons, and many shows about sex during various historical times.)

Won't the History Channel only give you WWII?

Yes. But History Channel International also has shows on the death throes of the Roman Empire.

Talk about au fait with MRI machines. Good god, I don't mind them, but I'd not do that. For so many reasons.

She had a civil war with her brother and defeated him before she was 21. She had her ambitious, conniving sister killed.

Also married (and killed??) a brother or two, IIRC.

They'll also tell you about the Freemasons and sex. (Two separate topics. Not Freemasons having sex.

Phew.

So clearly I need to spend more time on the History Channel.

Or the Daily Show, which had the author as a guest last week.