Barry Strauss, the Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies, writes in this Wall Street Journal essay, about the penchant for presidential hopefuls to pen the stories of their lives during election seasons.
"But no matter how attractive the jacket or how extensive the publicity tour, these modern-day efforts won’t likely top the first and most effective campaign book ever published: Julius Caesar’s 'The Gallic Wars, " Strauss writes. "His was a campaign book in two senses: It recounted his achievements on the field of battle but also vividly displayed his talents as a leader to the people of Rome. No politician in history has ever sold himself as well as Caesar did in its pages."
