Alexius Comnenus: The True Story

Alexius Comnenus is a well-known Byzantine Emperor not least because his daughter, Anna, wrote one of the greatest works of medieval literature about him called “The Alexiad.” It’s a cracking read, full of vivid character descriptions, battle scenes, back-stabbing politics and written in an epic style that echoes the Roman and Greek classics. It’s not just central to the history of Byzantium but also to the Crusades since she’s our main non-western commentator on the First Crusade and w...