I loved this book. It gives a concise history of his life and why and how he wrote. Along the way I learnt about why the construction of poetry in Ancient Rome was so important and how Horace interpreted Rome to itself. Horace paid great attention to construction and he was part of the power structure as he wrote about events as they happened. The book shows his humanity and covers the wide range of his interests and experiences. This is a fascinating, but easy to read, look at Rome. The notes at the end complement each chapter and give more detail as each chapter is themed and presented chronologically. Overall, a brilliant read that makes sense of the Roman world and explains why the rules of poetry, recitation and verse are to be found in this greatest of poets.