'Brilliant and discursive' Antonia Fraser, Sunday Times 'Hughes-Hallett's exemplary reappraisal . throws a searching light on two thousand years of male erotic fantasy' Joan Smith, New Statesman Winner of the FAWCETT PRIZE and EMILY TOTH AWARD In the 2,000 years since her death, Cleopatra has been recreated over and over again by poets, artists and filmmakers, each time in a form that fits the prejudices, anxieties and yearnings of the age that produced it. To Chaucer she was the model of a good wife, while to Cecil B. DeMille she was 'the wickedest woman in history'. In this revised edition of Lucy Hughes-Hallett's award-winning cultural history, the real Cleopatra - one of the most powerful women in the ancient world - is skilfully revealed alongside a legion of imaginary counterparts and the sexual, racial and political messages they carry. Lucy Hughes-Hallett won the prestigious BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE (then known as the Samuel Johnson Prize) for her biography 'The Pike: Gabriele d'Annunzio'. Her subsequent non-fiction book, 'The Scapegoat: the Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham', was critically acclaimed with widespread reviews and press coverage. 'Cleopatra' was Lucy's first book and set the tone for rest of her non-fiction career as a highly respected biographer.

Previously out of print, this new edition will feature a revised conclusion, colour plate section and integrated images, as well as a brand new cover design. This year (2025), Lucy is a judge for the Baillie Gifford Prize, increasing her authoritative position as a non-fiction writer. Competition: wild thing; normal women;. sue prideaux; lucy worsley;.