Byzantium. The name evokes grandeur and exoticism--gold, cunning, and complexity. In this unique book, Judith Herrin unveils the riches of a qui... read full description
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Nov 01, 2011
MS
rated it: 
The story of the Byzantine Empire is a mystery to many who are otherwise knowledgeable about western civilization. In recognition of that fact, the author undertook this book with the hopes from providing an introduction to the Byzantine phenomenon. The author successfully describes the 1,100 year Byzantine civilization in 300 pages – no mean feat – by eschewing a standard chronological narrative of events in favor of a series of topical essays, each addressing a different aspect of Byzantine
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Nov 25, 2007
Pablo
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Highly-entertaining introduction to the Byzantine Empire, that seeks to re-establish Byzantium's importance as a political and historical link that connected Classical Antiquity with modern Europe (and hence enabled the emergence of the latter).
The author narrates the history of the Eastern Roman Empire through small chapters, each of which concentrate on events/issues/battles of a relevant period. This avoids a straightorward, lineal chronological account, and allows instead a high More...
The author narrates the history of the Eastern Roman Empire through small chapters, each of which concentrate on events/issues/battles of a relevant period. This avoids a straightorward, lineal chronological account, and allows instead a high More...
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Nov 12, 2010
M.M.
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This review was originally published in The Christian Science Monitor.
It is spoken of in fiction and histories as an enigma, a shrouded maze of privileged deception and perfumed deceit, an insular, ossified, jewel-encrusted court, where guile and honeyed treachery reign supreme–a mediaeval Middle Eastern version of the Versailles of Louis XV. It is Byzantium.
But that image, as cinematically enticing as it may be, is one of the most effective examples of disinformation t More...
It is spoken of in fiction and histories as an enigma, a shrouded maze of privileged deception and perfumed deceit, an insular, ossified, jewel-encrusted court, where guile and honeyed treachery reign supreme–a mediaeval Middle Eastern version of the Versailles of Louis XV. It is Byzantium.
But that image, as cinematically enticing as it may be, is one of the most effective examples of disinformation t More...
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Jun 18, 2009
Steven
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On page xiii, the author notes that a couple workers in hard hats, after having seen from her office door that she taught Byzantine history, wondered what Byzantine history was. She tried in a few minutes to explain, and they followed up by asking "why she didn't. . .write about it for them?" And, indeed, she decided to write this volume for a broader audience. Her goal in this book (Page xiv): ". . .I want you to understand how the modern western world, which developed from Europ
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Feb 08, 2012
Sylvia
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Mrs. Herrin has written a good readable book about the Byzantine Empire. In three parts she leads the reader from the founding of Constantinople by Constantine the Great to the demise of the city in 1453, when Mehmet II conquered the city.
The book isn't really written as time line of facts, although the three parts have a kind of chronological order. The chapters are focussing on themes, for instance the position of the women, the educational system and the way Byzantium functioned More...
The book isn't really written as time line of facts, although the three parts have a kind of chronological order. The chapters are focussing on themes, for instance the position of the women, the educational system and the way Byzantium functioned More...
May 28, 2010
The author seems to have taken a sort of episodic/vignette approach here. I had a hard time finding the material exciting. Probably not of interest to anyone but me, but this makes the third book on the Byzantine Empire that I've given up on. (The others were Sailing from Byzantium and Lost to the West.) There must be a good one out there ... curse me for being picky and wanting to be entertained AND informed. >.>
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Jun 10, 2010
Koen
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Too many people have this vague idea that in 476, the Roman Empire poofed out of existence, taking with it all of its people, most of its infrastructure, and the Celts (except for a few on the British Isles), and then various Germans moved into the empty buildings, converted to Christianity, and just sat around doing nothing much except wait for the Renaissance to happen. Maybe there's a vague awareness of the Muslim invasion of Iberia and possibly the Crusades, but that's about it.
In actu More...
In actu More...
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Jan 11, 2012
Elizabeth S
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Good qualities: Great maps, very helpful plates/pictures with consistent references to them in the text, and obviously a very knowledgeable author who loves her work. Lots of fascinating stories were told, and some mentioned. Just reading this book opens the reader's eyes to a whole section of history that is worth knowing.
Things that were difficult for me: I think I just didn't have enough background on the medieval times anywhere to fully appreciate the topological discussion of th More...
Things that were difficult for me: I think I just didn't have enough background on the medieval times anywhere to fully appreciate the topological discussion of th More...
Dec 04, 2009
Stephen
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Several years ago I had the opportunity of completing a History Honours degree that I had had to leave unfinished because of lack of funds. I had to choose three papers out of several on offer, and one of them was Medieval History. I asked the professor what it covered. "Diplomatic and political history of England, France and Germany," he told me. I lost interest, and enrolled for courses on other places and periods.
The syllabus illustrates the prejudice among Western hist More...
The syllabus illustrates the prejudice among Western hist More...
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Jul 14, 2009
Dylan
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Between the fall of Rome and the rise of Europe stretch the Dark Ages, "dark" meaning "we're not sure what the hell was going on". But I was surprised to learn that the Roman empire didn't collapse completely---the eastern half went on to become what we speak of today as Byzantium. Did the Byzantines give us one book worth reading, one scientific achievement to build on, one great hero worth imitating? Nope. They preserved the culture they had inhereited in the same way t
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Jul 28, 2008
Bill
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I picked this up as many Americans would - knowing very little about the time in Europe and the Mediterrenean basin between the fall of Rome and the Renaissance. This very Western-Euro-Centric history is of course perpetuated by a lack of knowledge of how Rome truly fell, and the aftermath of that fall. Indeed, I was struck by how the Church picked up the pieces, both in the western portion of the Empire and in Byzantium, and continued organizing society. The rich culture and buffer of this e
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Aug 02, 2011
Malcolm
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If ever there was a good case against our calling something obscure and labyrinthine 'byzantine' then this is it. Herrin claims in her introduction that part of the incentive to write this was a discussion in her with two builders who wondered why academics never write for them (like her, I'm a little hurt by the suggestion but recognise the point): she has succeeded – this is a fantastic insight into a huge state based in medieval Constantinople. For anyone who visits south-east or central Euro
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Apr 02, 2010
Marty
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A readable history of the Byzantine Empire. Of interest was the schism between the eastern and western churches.....the shift of power from the West to East. A bit tedious on all the leaders....many of whom took the same name. But interesting to see how things began to dissipate, and then the takeover by the Ottoman Turks. Looking at a great Empire with a 1000 year overview, puts our time in perspective and portends the changes that are likely to happen in our WEST.
Feb 27, 2011
Cheryl
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Some years ago I took a seminar on Byzantium and Early Christian Art. Instant captivation. Later I traveled to Turkey and visited a number of Byzantine historical, architectural and archeological sites. Despite a fairly thorough introduction, I still appreciated the down to earth approach of Herrin's book. Wonderful, shimmering, and golden, just as it should be.
Feb 06, 2010
Andrés
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While the material is certainly interesting, the writing is pedestrian at best. This book provides a reasonable introduction to Byzantium, especially as it looks at all aspects of its history, not just its rulers. This is a good strategy as it's difficult to appreciate how this empire lasted so long without looking at the whole of its society.
Feb 04, 2012
Mark
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Having just visited Istanbul in December 2011, I really wanted to know more about the Byzantine Rulers and life in Byzantium. So far in this book there are snapshots that shoot back and forth over hundreds of years, often times in the same paragraph, making it difficult to visualize a time progression on the history and culture of the city. Sort of frustrating since Ms. Herrin makes assumptions you know these historical characters better than a novice reader. Ms. Herrin criticizes that weste
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Jan 26, 2012
K C
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For someone as Western Euro-ethnic as I am, living in Israel, the Byzantine ruins we find here and the Byzantine time period has remained a mystery to me until now. Herrin does an excellent job of explaining the historical and georgraphic significance as well as the religiosity, culture and philosophy of Byzantium to even someone as confused and unknowledgable as I was, without shirking from serious scholarship. I feel a much greater appreciation for the period and the culture having read the
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Nov 06, 2011
Claire
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This was good in theory, awkward in execution. Herrin's goal was to tell the history of the Byzantine empire by theme instead of chronological history, which I found interesting. I thought that by grouping chapters according to subject (economics, politics, society, Crusades, religion) was a good idea, but since it was so unchronological, I found it very easy to get confused. There was no real sense of continuity and the format made it difficult for Herrin to explain how these different aspects
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Jul 27, 2011
Stephen
rated it:
A highly readable overview of the history and institutions of a fascinating and much-maligned empire that seeks to dispel the misconceptions that have persisted down to today. For sheer enjoyment though, you have to go a long way to beat John Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantium
Dec 04, 2011
Kathy F
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I really wanted to like this book. One thousand years is a long span of time to fit into one book. I think what I didn't like was the formatting of the chapters into subject matters instead of chronological time lines. I had to keep an outline of events so I could fit the history together cohesively (at least for me!) The author had interesting stories to tell; however, I felt like a butterfly flitting around the flower of Byzantium.
Feb 05, 2012
Jaye
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The fact that I did not finish this book is not at all a commentary on its quality. It came to me at a time when I didn't especially have an interest in non-fiction and continually put it aside for novels. Though as a history, I found myself being a little frustrated by how simplified it was. I know Byzantium is a huge subject, but every chapter I liked I wanted more of that and less of everything else.
Aug 29, 2011
Stephanie
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Herrin presents a compelling argument - that Byzantium is undeserving of the stereotypes that have plagued it for hundreds of years and that it was actually a political, economic, intellectual, and cultural force with a rich history. This book is easy to read, and a good introduction to Byzantium.
Nov 29, 2011
Warnie B.
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Oddly, this was one of my least favorites of the books I've read about Byzantine history, but I can't quite put my finger on why. I think it just seemed flat--most of the other books on the subject I've read have managed to make Byzantium come alive for me, but this one...didn't. It's not that there wasn't good information, and the way it's divided up by subject instead of chronologically is fine. But somehow this book managed to make a subject I'm profoundly interested in into something I was p
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Feb 11, 2010
Chris
rated it:
It's only February and I've already been spoilt by some fantastic books that have landed on my bookshelf. Herrin's Byzantium is no exception. For me and many in the 'West' our ignorance of a Chriatian Empire that lasted for over a thousand years is staggering and almost criminal. Our perception of the 'Roman Empire' is just that, an empire operating out of Rome and spreading North and West. How little we were taught about this Eastern Empire. And how little we know how much we owe it for our cur
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May 16, 2009
Jon-Erik
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This is only the second book I've read by Herrin. I probably got The Formation of Christendom 15 years ago. Anyway, I really like her style and I enjoyed reading this. My favorite history is the history that isn't studied enough that isn't part of our collective memories as much as it ought to be. Byzantium certainly fits that bill.
Sep 12, 2010
MikeFromQueens
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Excellent! A little long in the tooth, but then so was the Eastern Empire. So many things I have learned, such as forks, diplomacy, and iconography. Cool stuff.
Jan 15, 2009
... Apparantly an accessible introduction to this rather esoteric subject - written in a down to earth manner by a well acclaimed scholar.
Jan 16, 2010
Matt
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Irene of Athens, 8th century Byzantine empress, acted as regent until her son Constantine VI reached maturity. By then, however, Irene had acquired a taste for power. To crush her son's ambitions she had his eyes put out in the very room where she had given birth to him. She then ruled for several years under the stylization "Basileus": Emperor. Coins from her reign omit the customary depiction of Christ and instead feature Irene on both sides.
Fiction, eat your heart o More...
Fiction, eat your heart o More...
Aug 26, 2009
Dad recommended this to me. I haven't read a history book in a loooong time...Want to finish it before school starts.
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Update: I have officially given up. I'm only about 90 pages from the end, but I think this book has actually made me NOT WANT TO READ. I didn't know anything could do that! (Kinda scared that this is how my students feel about reading sometimes...)
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Update: I have officially given up. I'm only about 90 pages from the end, but I think this book has actually made me NOT WANT TO READ. I didn't know anything could do that! (Kinda scared that this is how my students feel about reading sometimes...)
Aug 01, 2011
Brian
rated it:
Very good indeed. Byzantium remains elusive, but this one brought the place a bit more into focus.
