In this lively and perceptive book, the author investigates how Caesar's use has intensified in periods of political crisis, when the occurrence of assassination, war, dictatorship, totalitarianism or empire appears to give him fresh relevance. Her fascinating discussion shows how Caesar is mobilized in the U.S. as a resource for acculturation into the American present, as a prediction of America's future, or as a mode of commercial profit and great entertainment. By Maria Wyke. University of California Press. 344 pages.