In AD 69 the Roman Empire seem endangered by civil war and rebellion. The plebeian and uncharasmatic Emperor Vespasian restored peace and confidence and ensured a smooth succession. His reputation in antiquity gained momentum in the medieval and modern era to present auniversally acknowledged picture of an emperor who instigated economic advances and improved government which led to the "Golden Age" of the Empire in the second century. Barbara Levick outlines how this able individual gained the necessary military experience and political skills that enabled him to stage his successful bid for empire in AD 69 and go on to consolidate his supremacy and that of his dynasty in the decade that followed. She explores how Vespasian managed to cope with the military, political and economic problems of his reign as well as the solutions to those problems. Finally, she examines Vespasian's posthumous reputation. Vespasian presents a comprehensive, engaging and lavishly illustrated biography of an emperor who was credited with unsurpassed achievement and lauded as the bestower of peace and confidence within the empire.