Fighting Emperors of Byzantium

by John car

The Eastern Roman or 'Byzantine' Empire had to fight for survival throughout its long history so military ability was a prime requisite for a successful Emperor. John Carr concentrates on the personal and military histories of the more capable war fighters to occupy the imperial throne at Constantinople. They include men like it's founder Constantine I , Julian, Theodosius, Justinian, Heraclius, Leo I, Leo III, Basil I, Basil II (the Bulgar-slayer), Romanus IV Diogenes, Isaac Angelus, and Constantine XI.

Byzantium's emperors, and the military establishment they created and maintained, can be credited with preserving Rome's cultural legacy and, from the seventh century, forming a bulwark of Christendom against aggressive Islamic expansion. For this the empire's military organization had to be of a high order, a continuation of Roman discipline and skill adapted to new methods of warfare. Thus was the Empire, under the leadership of its fighting emperors, able to endure for almost a thousand years after the fall of Rome.

Genres: History, Medieval, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2015

Reviews

[Alberto Martín de Hijas · Rating 1 out of 5]

English: An agile prose but a very weak book in terms of its historical information. It does not contribute anything that cannot be read in any general history of the Eastern Roman Empire (not even in the military aspect, which is what it is supposed to focus on) and falls into major errors such as including a pseudo-historical character like the supposed Francisco de Toledo that the Pseudo-Sphrantzes chronicle interpolated to flatter a member of that family (The inclusion of literal dialogues without surviving witnesses should have made the author think)

Español: Una prosa ágil pero un libro muy flojo en cuanto a su información histórica. No aporta nada que no se pueda leer en cualquier historia general del Imperio Romano de Oriente (Ni siquiera en el aspecto militar que es en el que se supone que se centra) y cae en errores de bulto como por ejemplo, incluir a un personaje pseudohistórico como el supuesto Francisco de Toledo que la crónica del Pseudo-Sphrantzes interpoló para alagar a un miembro de esa familia (La inclusión de diálogos literales sin testigos supervivientes debería haber hecho pensar al autor)

[Benjamin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Describing this work as a 'survey' would be generous. Profoundly derivative, it is poorly cited, and uncritical of its sources. Far from a targeted work on key historical figures, the book is supremely tedious in its encyclopedic effort, yet stocking in its omissions. The author rightly nods to the luminaries of the field, but utterly fails in honoring their traditions. Managing to dabble in western cynicism, and apologetic glorification in one brush. A grasp of historiography is also in deficit in this work, which cites not a single primary source, and it preforms not even a token bout of analysis.

As a survey it has virtually no value, its' rambling and compressed text gives nothing original and does nothing to clarify other works. No part of this book is superior in anyway to its source material. Without contribution or correlation, its' base virtues would be in question without the author's clear and obvious bias. This last addition, not even original it is impingement, makes a tedious work intolerable. Bereft of any academic merit, too tedious for causal readers, and without any redeeming insight or view, I was profoundly dissatisfied with the work.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utmärkt och spännande genomgång av Byzantinska rikets kungalängd, med fokus på vad de lyckades göra rent militärt.

[Vassilis Xanthakis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ο τίτλος δεν είναι ακριβής, προσωπικά θα περίμενα πως θα αναφέρεται σε εκείνους τους αυτοκράτορες που διακρίθηκαν για τις πολεμικές τους αρετές κι επιδόσεις, όπως ο Νικηφόρος Φωκάς και ο Βασίλειος Βουλγαροκτόνος. Πρακτικά είναι μία σύντομη εξιστόρηση για κάθε αυτοκράτορα από τον Κωνσταντίνο το Μέγα μέχρι τον Παλαιολόγο, συμπαθητικό πάντως το βιβλίο και είναι εμφανές πως ο συγγραφέας έχει βαθιές ιστορικές γνώσεις μεταφέροντας και κάποιες άγνωστες πτυχές της βυζαντινής ιστορίας.

[Murray Brockman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly Outstanding

Much entertaining and little-known history compressed into this short compendium of the wars of the Byzantine emperors. And so many wars, and of such ferocity, not to mention intrigue, fratricide, patricide, matricide and even genocide. Who knew that the Muslim destruction of Constantinople in 1453 was matched in horror only by the Papist Crusader mercenaries in 1204. We humans are in fact a bloodthirsty lot.

[Mick Maye · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent chronological account

Whilst the accounts of each emperor are brief, the massive coverage of the Byzantine era is wonderful. This book also covers the events that impacted on the Empire as they occurred. Very enjoyable.