Abbott, J., Cleopatra (Texas: Simon, 2001)
An energetic biography, with plenty of focus on not only Cleopatra herself but the wider context of the period as well. 

Burnstein, S., The Reign of Cleopatra (Oklahoma: Oklahoma University Press, 2007)
An advanced read, aimed more at undergraduate level students but still an accessible and wide-ranging account of Cleopatra’s life with some particularly good explorations of Egyptian culture and the city of Alexandria. 

Goldsworthy, A., Antony and Cleopatra (London: Weidenfield & Nicolson, 2010)
An excellent choice for the general reader, packed with detail and excellent use of original source material. Very accessible and written with clarity.

Grant, M., Cleopatra (London 1972)
An excellent biography, heavily based on source material, challenging the different angles of the Roman propaganda in order to present Cleopatra in a fair light. 

Hughes-Hallet, L., Cleopatra: Histories, Dreams and Distortions (London: Bloomsbury, 1990)
A fascinating exploration of how Cleopatra has been represented and recreated throughout the ages in art and literature

Meier, C., Caesar (trans. McLintock) (London, 1995)
Originally written in German, some translations can be a bit clunky and hard to read but nonetheless this is a very interesting examination of the thoughts and motives of Caesar. 

Rice, E. E., Cleopatra (Stroud: Sutton, 1999)
A short and easy-to-read general biography but lacking the detail of the longer biographies.

Roberts, A., Mark Antony: His Life and Times (Worcester: Malvern Publishing, 1988)
A detailed but rather too long overview of Antony’s life with a particular focus on Antony’s military successes. 

Southern, P., Mark Antony: A Life (Stroud: Amberley, 2012)
A very accessible, easy-to-read and enjoyable reconstruction of Mark Antony’s life.

Southern, P., Antony and Cleopatra (Stroud: Amberley, 2009)
Southern’s individual biographies of both characters are better but this amalgamation is another easy-to-read general retelling of the story. 

Tyldesley, J., Cleopatra: Last Queen of Egypt (New York: Basic Books, 2008)
An enjoyable and accessible rundown of Cleopatra’s life with particularly good sections on Cleopatra’s appearance and her connection with the goddess, Isis.

Walker, S. and P. Higgs, Cleopatra of Egypt: From History to Myth (London: British Museum Press, 2001)
Designed as a companion to the 2001 Cleopatra exhibitions at various museums around the world, this is a beautifully put together catalogue of hundreds of objects pertaining to Cleopatra.

Crawford, M.H., The Roman Republic (Glasgow: Fontana, 1978)
A wide-ranging introduction to the period but a tricky read for the younger reader.

Chauveau, M., Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra (trans. D. Lorton), (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2000)
A comprehensive overview of Egyptian cultural, social and religious customs to provide excellent context for the period.

Gabba, E., Republican Rome, the Army and the Allies (trans. Cuff, P.J.), (Oxford: Blackwell, 1976) 
A very advanced overview of the Roman army and its reforms.

Green, P., Alexander to Actium: The Historical Evolution of the Hellenistic Age (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990)
The best book for anyone wishing to learn more about the extensive history of the Hellenistic age.

Hölbl, G., A History of the Ptolemaic Empire (Abingdon: Routledge, 2000)
An excellent narrative of history of the Ptolemies which also has a number of useful illustrations and clear family trees. 

Holland, T., Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic (London: Abacus, 2004)
Very accessible, yet detailed and enjoyable overview of the fall of the Republic.

Scullard, H.H., From the Gracchi to Nero (London: Methuen, 1959)
An excellent introduction to both the intricacies of the fall of the republic and the excitement of the rise of the principate. 

Seager, R., Pompey: A Political Biography (Oxford: Blackwell, 1979)
A thorough overview of the life of Pompey with some useful maps and an excellent glossary.

Syme, R., The Roman Revolution (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1939)
Not the easiest read for the younger reader, but this is a hugely influential (and controversial) study of the fall of the Republic and rise of Augustus.

Caesar and Cleopatra (starring Vivian Leigh, dir. Gabriel Pascal, 1945) 
An entertaining adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s same-titled play, focusing on Caesar teaching Cleopatra how to rule.

Cleopatra (starring Elizabeth Taylor, dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1963)
Perhaps the most famous representation of Cleopatra in film, Elizabeth Taylor’s glamorous Cleopatra should, of course, be taken with a pinch of salt!

Cleopatra (TV series, starring Leonor Varela, 1999)
This ‘made-for-TV’ movie is an easy watch, if only to see Timothy Dalton as Julius Caesar, but it was never going to win any awards for accuracy or production value.

Rome (HBO TV Series, 2002)
An excellent series highlighting Rome at its dirtiest and most sordid. Only suitable for age 15+ but the story arc around Cleopatra is excellent (even if a little off the truth) and the recreation of Pompey’s death is harrowing viewing.

Cleopatra: A Timewatch Guide (BBC documentary, 2015) 
This is a very well put together overview of different Timewatch episodes of the past to examine how our perceptions of Cleopatra, particularly with regards to her appearance, have changed over time.