It took me literal years to get around to this but man, is it worth the wait. Goldsworthy is an academic who writes well, which makes for a solidly researched yet engaging text. He resolutely sticks to Caesar’s life, with a short history of the 30 years before it for context, then ends immediately following the assassination. Even with that, and even with some judicious skimming, this is not a short book. But it gives a very good look at standard academic consensus on Caesar’s life, which is invaluable.