The Cross and the Crescent

by Joyce Milton, Sarah Lewis, Rafael Steinberg

From its earliest beginnings thousands of years ago, the course of man’s progress has been measured by his empires. Large, dynamic flows of power, people, and culture that merge, thrive, then break apart - the pieces only to merge again in a new configuration, the process to be repeated. Through pictures and words, " Their Rise and Fall" brings the reader face to face with many of the world’s greatest empires. Full-color photographs are combined with an absorbing narrative in a lively historical account of each empire and an examination of the period’s most enduring cultural achievements. This volume in the series focuses on Byzantium, and The Turks. The two civilizations - Byzantium and Turkish - that played out their rivalry across the Aegean as the Middle Ages waned have always proved enigmatic to Western Europeans. Cosmopolitan, exotic Byzantium has exercised a perennial fascination on the imagination of the West and yet has stubbornly eluded understanding. The Turkish Empire has emerged as the West’s foremost caricature of the cruel and alien state, menacing and at the same time alluring in its violence and sensuousness. All those who would hope to arrive at a more balanced understanding of the Turks and Byzantines must first disabuse themselves of a long succession of colorful stereotypes. The task is not easy - distortions centuries in the making are not readily abandoned - but the effort is surely worthwhile. For it is only after taking a conscientious look at the histories and cultural achievements of these two peoples that we can gain a legitimate sympathy for two empires which may justifiably be called "monuments of unaging intellect."

Genres: History, Religion

168 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Joyce Milton is the author of several noted juvenile biographies, as well as the prize-winning novel, Save the Loonies.

Reviews

[Joel Robb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A picture/textbook style history of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Loaded with maps, artwork, pictures of historic locations, it feels as if you are getting a guided tour through a museum. Very enjoyable to read from a history perspective, I need to look into the rest of the the series. You will get a nice overview of these empires that lasted from the fall of the Roman Empire to just after WWI when the last of the Ottoman sultanate was sent into exile. You will witness the heaves and sputterings of the empires; get a glimpse into the notable rulers -- Justinian and Suleiman to name a few; military campaigns; the relations (diplomatic and military campaign alike) with their Western (France, Hapsburg, Papal, Balkans), Russian, and Middle Eastern counterparts; and even some discussion of culture, life, and trade in these 2-page "breather from the history" sections that are interspersed throughout the book. I would best describe it as a "DK" book for history. The history is basic, probably at a high school level, but that is all I need to appreciate it to the level that I want to study it.