Thomas F. (hardtack) - , reviewed on 6/21/2012 + 2701 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

I would certainly agree with the other reviewers that if you only want to read about the effect of plague on the Eastern Roman Empire, than this is not the book to read. However, this book does involve you in a long process of understanding how everything in Justinian's empire was tied together. It is a lot like life, you just can't narrow everything down to a few points on a Powerpoint screen.

Fortunately, you can skim over some sections rapidly and get the gist of what the author wants you to know and then read the more interesting parts. I did this for the religious discussions and the biology of the pest plague organism that the fleas carry, as I knew this from other books.

Overall, I would say I profited from reading the book as I have a much more detailed understanding of the empire and the many reasons why it ultimately failed.

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