Lothian writer's epic Roman heartbreaker

JUSTINIAN, by Ross Laidlaw, is published by Polygon, priced £9.99, and is available now.

Emperor Justinian I is determined to win back the lost Western Roman Empire at any cost - despite civil unrest, the plague and devastating earthquakes.

In this self-titled book, he battles for victory against the Vandals and the Goths - but with limited success.

With his beloved wife Theodora by his side, Justinian, the son of an illiterate peasant, rose to become one of the most powerful men in the world and the story of his fascinating life is captured here by Dunbar writer Ross Laidlaw.

Justinian is the culmination of the writer's epic trilogy on the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and is as thrilling as the other books in the collection, Attila: The Scourge of God and Theoderic.

"It's a book based on historical fact," Laidlaw explains. "A story of a driven man desperate to achieve in his lifetime more than he could."

Justinian continued his battle for victory despite the tragic death of his wife which left him heartbroken. Their tale, marked by power and pain, makes this one of the greatest love stories in history.

n Ross Laidlaw was brought up in Edinburgh and educated at Cambridge University.