If you are not a history buff you will find this dry, boring, and long. I on the other hand am interested in history. I didn't know much about the Byzantine Empire so I have found this fascinating.

The second part of the Byzantine empire and may have been even better than the first one. Same old what if's in this book. What if an emperor Isaac Comnenus did not die two years of his reign before rebuilding the army that was in disarray in the 11th century, what if the Patriarchs were more diplomatic with the popes in Rome, what if the "traitor" Adronicus Ducas did not betrayed emperor Romanus IV Diogenes at the battle of Manzikert and lot's, lot's more... Fantastic read and recommended for all who are interested in this subject.

John Julius Norwich is one of my favourite historical writers and his history of the zenith of the Byzantine empire is a reminder of his extraordinary skills.