Rubicon the last years of the roman republic or rubicon the triumph and tragedy of the roman republic is a popular history book written by tom holland published in 2003 the book tells the story of the end of the roman republic and the consequent establishment of the roman empire the book takes its title from the river rubicon in the northern . With rubicon the last years of the roman republic tom holland has taken the ancient sources and fashioned an absorbing narrative of the waning years of republican rome holland transformed his source material which often seems dry and obtuse to modern readers into an exceedingly readable tale even though he is guilty of occasionally lapsing into glibness. Rubicon the last years of the roman republic author tom holland publisher knopf doubleday publishing group 2007 isbn 030742751x 9780307427519 length 464 pages subjects. A vivid historical account of the social world of rome as it moved from republic to empire in 49