The History of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, by Jacob Abbott

The History of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, by Jacob Abbott chronicles the life of Cleopatra VII (or, as we tend to refer to her, just Cleopatra). I have not studied Cleopatra in depth, so what I am writing is based off of this book. I have glanced at a few online articles and it seems like the book was fairly accurate. However, it is possible that an Egyptologist would disagree. Because of this, I am not taking accuracy into account when I review this book.
Cleopatra was the last Egyptian Pharaoh (or second to last, depending on how you interpret her son's rule). Born to a line where violence and politics were deeply connected to familial relationships, she was witness to and a participant of many family fights that ended in blood, betrayal, and death. Her ascension to the throne came at a time of civil war and was only accomplished with the aid of Julius Caesar. Whether through genuine affection or because she thought it would give her political power, Cleopatra began an affair with Caesar (who was already married) and, on his death, with Marc Antony (who was also married). In addition, Cleopatra was imprudent with her money, using it to constantly indulge herself. Her lavish lifestyle and her affairs with married men contributed to the fall of the Ptolomeic dynasty.
Abbott takes a long time to get to the topic of Cleopatra. The author first discusses the land of Egypt and the Ptolemies (Cleopatra VII's ancestors). While these can be related back to and are somewhat vital to understanding Cleopatra's life, the author spends too much time on them. It is not until Chapter Four that Cleopatra enters the book with anything other than a mere mention. Even afterwards, the author focuses a lot on the characters surrounding her, such as Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, Marc Antony, etc. At one point, there are ten pages in a row that do not even mention Cleopatra. While these figures are central to Cleopatra's life, Abbott could have discussed them while focusing more on how Cleopatra was acting during the crucial events, her motivations for influencing these men, etc. Now, I feel obligated to admit that the entire book was very interesting and I enjoyed learning about all of these people. However, when one picks up a book entitled "The History of Cleopatra" one expects to and usually wants to read about Cleopatra. I feel that the earlier chapters could have and should have been condensed and the later events written from an angle that involved Cleopatra a bit more than it did. This book was interesting but, written as it was, it should have been entitled something along the lines of "A History of the Ptolemy Dynasty and its Relation to Rome".
There are a few misused words and/or awkward phrasing of ideas. However, there are not enough to get in the way of reading and comprehending.
Overall, I would give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Maybe this is a bit harsh; after all, it is interesting to read. However, as it is called, "The History of Cleopatra", I would deduce that Abbott's goal in writing this book was to inform the reader on the life of Cleopatra. He does this to some degree but digresses a bit too much.