Book info

• Title Domination
• Author Alice Roberts
• Year 2025
• Genre Non-fiction

This is the story of the fall of an Empire – and the rise of another. Who spread Christianity, how, and why? In her quest to find the answer, Professor Alice Roberts takes us on a gripping investigative journey. From a secluded valley in south Wales to the shores of Brittany; from the heart of the Roman Empire in a time of political turmoil to the ancient city of Corinth in the footsteps of the apostle Paul; from Alexandria in the fourth century to Constantinople. As the Roman Empire crumbled in Western Europe, a shadow of power remained, almost perfectly mapping onto its disappearing territories. And then, it continued to spread. Unearthing the archaeological clues and challenging long-established histories, Professor Roberts tells a remarkable story about the relationship between the Roman Empire and Christianity. Lifting the veil on secrets that have been hidden in plain sight, this story is nothing short of astonishing.

Thoughts

I’ve recently really enjoyed the trilogy by Alice Roberts looking at what we can learn from burials - but I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book, focusing in on religion. But it was of course absolutely fascinating, following how this religion took off. I particularly liked the moments were Alice kept reminding us, and herself, that Christianity isn’t an it, it isn’t the thing, the thing is the powerful people and the beliefs that took hold and why they spread the way they did. Fascinating.

Rating: 4 / 5