Peter Stothard is an author, journalist, and critic. He is a former editor of The Times [of London] and of The Times Literary Supplement. His previous books include The Last Assassin: The Hunt for the Killers of Julius Caesar, Alexandria: The Last Nights of Cleopatra, and On the Spartacus Road: A Spectacular Journey through Ancient Italy.

Palatine, the most important of the Seven Hills of Rome, was the heartbeat of Roman imperial power. This book provides a unique and vivid narrative of Rome's first dynasty, as seen through the eyes of one family, the Vitelli, who expertly maneuvered through the Palatine until their luck ran out.