In this book Bart Ehrman deals with the three followers of Jesus who are arguably the most significant and intriguing: Peter, his closest disciple: Paul his most important apostle; and Mary Magdalene, his most prominent female follower. What do the New Testament and other, non-canonical texts tell us about each of them? What legends developed about them? What can we say about them as historical figures? In a separate section on each, Ehrman lays out what is fact and what is fiction and how we know. Ehrman deals with complex historical issues in clear and informative ways, explaining anecdotes culled from the traditions of these three followers of Jesus. In this way, he explains what we can know about each of these figures as real historical people, and what legends sprang up about them in the centuries after their deaths.