In his foreword, Antony Bridge explains that he wanted to write an introduction to the Byzantine world for the general reader, whom he feared might be intimidated by the complexity of most Byzantine history books. He succeeds admirably. By focusing on Theodora, probably the most intriguing and best-known figure of the period, he manages to keep his book tightly focused, while also using her experience as a way into the wider issues of the period: the theological debates between Monophysites and the Orthodox, for example, or the wars with the Goths in Italy.

The result is a highly readable and enjoyable book for the newcomer to Byzantine history, which introduces some of the key players and issues. For those with some prior knowledge, it might skim the surface a little too much. I have to admire Bridge for the task he took on in writing this, because his job was even more difficult than that of most historians. He chose to write a biography of someone about whom very few facts are known, and as such, the reader should beware that imagination and intelligent deduction are probably as active here as 'hard fact', if hard facts are ever possible.

I've docked a star, because Bridge comes across as slightly more partisan than one would like in a historian. In some ways, this is great because it means we have a point of view which is much more balanced and favourable than Procopius' famous accounts. But Bridge finds it difficult to accept that Theodora had a truly dark side; and he also seems to want to interpret her in a way that's as favourable as possible to modern thinking. However, this partisanship can work two ways. Bridge's evident affection for and interest in his subject spills onto the page and can be infectious. Theodora is presented as an intelligent, capable and fascinating woman, and her world is brought to colourful, pulsing life. I now feel ready to jump into the deeper waters of John Julius Norwich's "Byzantium: The Early Centuries"... ( )