I read this with a view to passing it on to a friend who has some interest in the doings of the Christian church in Australia. It was recommended to me by my most bookish friend. He thought it best to start at the beginning of the church.

This is an account of Jesus that emphasises his context. Its a slice through his last year along with every thing else of note in the historically recorded world. Its claim is that many of the events of AD33 shifted the human history of the world and still do.

We get to know the emperor Tiberius, his beliefs cruelties and crises. We are given an insight into the politics and character of Roman rule and its Jewish relations. Filling out the picture are some trivial British incidents, descriptions of the Han empire in China, and the shape of things in America. Documentary sources are discussed as we go.

AD33 is pacy. Turning every page I feared that Jesus would swing into view as the main event. But author keeps to his broad task. We follow Jesus’ year, that of the apostles, and then others not so connected to him, Pilate, Tiberius’ wife. The differing points of view are always given for things such as the resurrection, where the church came from or the character of Tiberius. It is so even handed that the orthodox view of Jesus seems to be only just maintained. And the book ends neatly with a short epilogue on what happened next.

AD33: The year that changed the world is a believable account. I found balanced books like this helpful in coming to faith.

Hector Abrahams is a member of St James Anglican Church, Croydon.