Book cover of Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint

Book description

A definitive new biography of the Byzantine emperor Justinian  
 
Justinian is a radical reassessment of an emperor and his times. In the sixth century CE, the emperor Justinian presided over nearly four decades of remarkable change, in an era of geopolitical threats, climate change, and plague. From the eastern Roman—or…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Justinian as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I have an interest in classical history, and Justinian is an unusual representative. He almost recovered the Roman empire, but for some bad luck in the form of bubonic plague taking out much of his army and economy. But the story is also very informative, and looks into the question of governance as it is influenced by the personality of those in power.

If you love Justinian...

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December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

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