Whatever we may think of the model created by Augustus – it had staying power. Augustus reigned from 27BC. There was an emperor on the throne continually until 479AD – just over 500 years.

  Imagine you are running a world superpower, but you are a bit strapped for cash. Your enemies all seem to be well funded, and you can’t keep up with them. Who do you turn to?

Augustus Returns Gossip must have been at fever pitch in Rome in 27BC, the year Augustus’ reign is generally held to have started. Whenever somebody new takes over, there is always a lot of speculation ahead of their arrival. But there can’t have been many situations where quite so many people had quite so little

I got in some beers and a pizza last Saturday night and stayed in to watch a DVD with my son – V for Vendetta. This was released in 2005, directed by James McTeigue and starring Hugo Weaving (masked throughout), Natalie Portman, John Hurt and Stephen Fry. It is a good film, keeping you interested

The Thirty Nine Steps is one of the most familiar books of the twentieth century. I first came across it as a set book in English classes at school. But it has also had several film and television versions. It is in a way quite sobering to realise that it is now very nearly a

I wrote this review of the Cash Nexus a long time ago before Niall Ferguson was all that famous.  I wasn’t very good at writing reviews  back then.  But to be fair, he wasn’t all that great at writing them either. Have you got a friend who is interesting and intelligent, and is well worth