The Emperor syndrome

Dominic Lieven's 'In the Shadow of the Gods' presents a breath-taking cavalcade of larger-than-life characters, many of whom have left deep imprints on human civilisation

In the Shadow of the Gods: The Emperor in World History 

Author: Dominic Lieven 

Publisher: Allen Lane 

Pages: 500 

Price: Rs 1,609

Dominic Lieven, the distinguished authority on Russian imperial history, has expanded his canvas to provide a detailed study of the emperors in world history. Starting with Sargon of Akkad, who ruled over much of present-day Iraq and Syria about 2,300 years before Christ, Dr Lieven brings his narrative to the Second World War.
 

His survey covers the emperors of Persia, Rome, India, China, the Islamic Caliphate, the Ottomans and the Mughals, before ending his story with the rulers of modern Europe. This