www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Books Another book on Byzantium

For those of you who are interested in books that discuss the history of the Byzantine Empire, you might find this interesting. I am about half-way through and am finding it well documented and well researched.

It is written by William Rosen and called Justinian's Flea: Plague, Empire and the Birth of Europe.

Amazon gives the following information:
Publisher: Viking USA; 1 edition (May 8 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0670038555
ISBN-13: 978-0670038558

That looked good when I saw something about it on the History Channel. Didn't Justinian capture the Ark of the Covenant and then a plague broke out so he shipped it elsewhere?

The book is interesting, which is alot to say about books concerning Byzantine history! However, why can't someone write a book entitled: "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Byzantine History"? Think about it, a anecdotal fast paced, clear, concise rendering of history. For those who are fascinated by Byzantine history know that the literature out there is mostly dry, dull, and very scholarly.

Isaac Asimov's book on Byzantium is pretty good - he's a good writer.

Fr. Serge

I agree -- although it is out of print. I found it in a public library years ago -- it is a fantastic read.

Try J.J. Norwich's A Short History of Byzantium, a witty and well-written synopsis of his monumental trilogy.

In Christ,
Theophilos

The classic text is Byzantium by Rene Guerdan. It was published in 1957 and out of print, but it went through several editions and is easy to find a copy.

I'd also recommend Warren Treadgold's overview. Not a perfect overview, but to my mind it's an excellent survey (though it may be a bit too detailed for your average reader - I however am fascinated by all the details).

Here's a nice set of podcasts...and the lecturer is now writing a book.

http://www.anders.com/lectures/lars_brownworth/12_byzantine_rulers/