The Emperors of Byzantium (Paperback)

Based in the great city of Constantinople, the Byzantine empire was one of the most successful civilizations of the Middle Ages. The continuation of the Roman empire, but in its new iteration as a Christianity centred organization, its dominion straddled Europe and western Asia for more than a millennium. Yet its history remains largely unfamiliar.

Byzantine expert Kevin Lygo vividly chronicles this majestic and turbulent period through the lives of its ninety-two emperors, telling gripping tales of political survival, religious devotion, sexual intrigue and artistic brilliance. The cast includes both men and women, ruthless usurpers and soaring intellectuals; the profound impact of their collective rule can still be felt today.

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'I love this book. The strangeness, the darkness, the madness, the gruesomeness, the politics, the families, the feuding, the deaths! It makes Game of Thrones look like a scrap in the playground' – Russell T. Davies

'This revelatory and brilliantly researched book opens the door to one of the best-kept secrets in art – the magnificent empire of Byzantium' – Waldemar Januszczak

'Kevin Lygo is a connoisseur, collector and specialist in the Byzantine era, which when combined with his flair for storytelling, make this a publication to savour' – Will Gompertz

'Highly readable ... Lygo has succeeded brilliantly in bringing this fascinating but strangely neglected subject to life' – Paul Lay, Editor, History Today