Karin Schuitemaker

een prachtig, levendig verslag.

Others in recent years have made worthy efforts to interest us in the Byzantine achievement, but none has made it live in quite the way that Herrin does. She's been bold in foregrounding themes, concerned more with painting a panoramic picture of Byzantium's 'surprising life' than to establish a chronology--though the narrative's there to give the reader a sense of how it all progressed. Free from portentousness and pretentiousness, she doesn't insist on her subject's importance or relevance: the freshness and enthusiasm of her book is its real point. Not just an important work of scholarship but a delight to read, this study works a minor miracle in raising Byzantium, Lazarus-like, from its dusty grave.

'Goed geconstrueerde romantische thriller. De boeiende intrige, de soepele verteltrant, het rijke, beeldende taalgebruik en de goed verdeelde spanning houden de aandacht constant gespannen. De inleefbare personages en hun onderlinge relaties worden psychologisch uitstekend uitgewerkt met zowel gevoel drama als humor.'