I'll jump in on this one, because I actually bought the book and - I cringe to say - stopped reading about 1/3 of the way through, selling it off through Amazon.com.

What was wrong with it? Well, there are a set number of things we know about Augustus. The trick is to tell those things with enough perception and creativity that the human being named Octavian comes to life for you, so that you feel you understand a little about him and the times he lived in. I felt, with this book, that I was simply watching someone punch the historic numbers - this happened, then this, then this - without any particular grace or inspiration, and it bored me so that I stopped reading only a third of the way through!

Others may find quite differently, but I found it inadequate and disappointing. I also find the title fairly useless.