The great strength of Mitchell's book is its firm grasp on the latest scholarship, including much that is not in English nor necessarily familiar. I found myself following a number of trails into his footnotes, which were both unknown to me and rewarding, and I will also have no hesitation in setting several of its chapters as a reliable introduction for students new to the subject. (English Historical Review, February 2009) Mitchell has produced an extremely useful book... [He] strikes the right balance between narrative and analysis, generality and detail... The book is a page-turner, as well as a resource for students of all ages. (Greece & Rome, 2008) Mitchell offers students the opportunity to gain a broader vision of the late antique world, where the hard-headed activities of emperors, bureaucrats and generals count for as much as the colourful transformations of religion and culture. (The Classical Review, 2008) Mitchell's strong parts are the thought that he has given to the needs of the beginner, and his provision of the widest chronological overview in a single volume ... .He has an easy style, refers frequently and appositely to modern parallels, and picks up modern interests and concerns such as the power of 'spin' and 'image' and the importance of environmental factors. (Latomus Revue, September 2008) The book is certainly worth including in any university or high school library and any student of late antiquity would benefit from reading it. (Classical Review, 2007) Seldom can one give unreserved praise of a textbook, but Mitchell's book on the later Roman Empire deserves it ... Highly recommended. (Choice) The volume of the on-going Blackwell History of the Ancient World is a very welcome addition to the growing collection of modern overviews of the Later Roman Empire ... It is consciously modernising in the best possible sense, drawing lessons for the interpretation of the Later Roman Empire from the rapid collapse of political structures that had seemed destined for eternity until they were suddenly gone, which we have experienced in the modern world over the last twenty years. The book can for this reason alone be thoroughly recommended. (Scholia Reviews)
