A Short History of Byzantium

Rating:
Summary: Zooming through Byzantium
Review: A Short History of Byzantium is John Julius Norwich's abridgement of his 3 volume work. He begins his book with an apology for skimming so quickly over the surface and vows that he has left out nothing important (adding that if you want more detail, the three-volume version awaits you). I knew virtually nothing about this fascinating period of history. I found the book extremely informative, as well as quite lively and entertaining, with a fabulous cast of characters. My favorite was the wily Theodora, who rises from sex show performer to Empress of Byzantium. (I also liked it when characters I knew from other contexts made an appearance, such as Charlemagne and Eleanor of Aquitaine.) This book also gave me a much better understanding of such things as the crusades, the complex relationship between the Catholic Church, the Byzantine Church and the Byzantine state; and the rivalry between Venice and Genoa. Just as importantly the book has also made me curious about some other things. I'd really like to know more about the Ottoman Empire after reading A Short History of Byzantium.

Rating:
Summary: A bit disappointed
Review: Being not an expert on Byzance history, I can not fairly realized how much J. Norwich succeeds to bring back to the surface from our ocean of forgotten history. He may do well on that point except maybe that his history looks more as an apology to all Byzantium emperors and leaders and seems to forget part of the history that I was more eager to know: economy, society and culture. We may not know well these subjects, and written traces might speak more about the dramas of the emperial families than about the state of the people. But on that specific point, I was a bit disappointed. Still an interesting book.

Rating:
Summary: Opinionated, informative, and never boring.
Review: Help Wanted: Byzantine Emporer: Must have military experience, good grasp of theology, insatiable lust for power, insufferable wife, and be willing to lose eyes and/or nose upon retirement to monastery. Immediate family may be subject to blinding, castration, or poison.

Here's a book chock-full of sex and violence, scandal and strangulation, death and dismemberment, that I didn't feel at all bad about reading. It's a whirlwind tour--in plain English--of the Byzantine Empire from Constantine to its final defeat by the Ottomans, and there's never a dull moment. I knew nothing about the Byzantines before I read it, but now I feel like I have a fair grasp of their place in history. The book won't make you an expert, but it can fill in that hole (labeled "Byzantium") in your understanding of Western Civilization. I can't agree with Norwich's definition of a Great Emporer (one who expands territory by antagonizing the neighbors, pillaging the treasury, taxing everybody to the eyeballs-- and dying before it all backfires), but I liked Norwich's Eastern take on the Crusades and the schism of the Eastern and Western churches. The book has broadened my view of history without ever being a chore to read.

Rating:
Summary: Read This Book!
Review: I am not one to give a five-star rating unless I believe the work to be superlative; such is Norwich's condensed single volume. I am an amatuer Byzantinist, looking to enroll in a graduate program in Byzantine Studies, so I, naturally, am inclined to enjoy almost any well researched book on the empire. Norwich's book, however, has truly universal appeal. His writing is clear and concise--more prosaic than most histories. He treats his subject with respect, yet never falls into the trap of adulation. This book is the best comprehensive study of the Empire I've read to date. For those who have more than a simple curiosity about Byzantium, I recommend reading the unabridged three-volume work; for those who want an overview of the empire, I can think of no better tome. Norwich's book will doubtlessly pique the reader's interest in this oft-ignored, yet immeasurably important historical epoch. Thank you Mr. Norwich.

Rating:
Summary: Nice overview but far too short
Review: I think this book is about as good as you can do trying to cover the whole history of Byzantium in a single volume. Which is to say, not especially well; there is simply far too much history to really do it justice in such a short space. Yes, there is the longer 3 volume version by Norwich, but unfortunately the publishers have declined to offer that at an affordable price, so I was reduced to buying this work instead.

On the plus side, it's an absorbing read and does give a reasonable overview of the subject. It also is enough to proivide support to Norwich's essential thesis, namely that Byzantium was a rich and important civilization that made important contributions and served as a bulwark for Europe against Islamic expansionism. He intends this as a corrective to Gibbon's very negative view of Byzantium as a decadent civilization, merely a shadow or appendage of the greater and more vibrant Western empire.

And Norwich does make a convincing case for his point of view, one which should pique the interest of most readers. Unfortunately, this very virtue highlights the flaw in the work, since it will leave the reader wanting much more detail and information than this single volume can provide.

Rating:
Summary: Great Read...Now Where's the Trilogy?
Review: I'm weirdly fascinated by the Byzantine Empire and I found this book a perfect way to get a fairly in depth introduction to Byzantium. It touches upon most, if not all, the most important topics and players without dwelling on any of them too long. But while this is fine, I found that after awhile, the various leaders, political figures and the like breezed by so quickly that it was hard to get a firm grasp on the topic as a whole. What a surprise when I went back to read Mr. Norwich's own introduction (a High School English teacher once told me to always read the intro to a book AFTER you've read it because it will make more sense) and found that he makes the exact comment that if the reader finds the characters going by too quickly, "the trilogy awaits". But I've not been able to find it.

Great book...fast, solid reading. Not boring..

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating!
Review: It is the most balanced view of the byzantine Empire I have ever read, but not only it is a serious historical work; it is also most enjoyable to read. It is the kind of work that, if you ever equated scholarly and boring, will certainly change your mind. to be recomended to every history buff.

Rating:
Summary: A concise history of the Byzantine Empire
Review: Lord Norwich compressed three volumes of Byzantine history into one, and although it is a well-written appetizer for that subject, no one could do the subject-- over 1000 years of empire-- justice in just over 380 pages. Unfortunately, the result is a book punctuated by the transition moments: deaths of emperors and succession battles, wars, etc., at the expense of the fabric of Byzantine life and culture. In his epilogue, Lord Norwich rightly laments the historical neglect of Byzantium and praises its accomplishments, but those very accomplishments are hard to find among the text's catalogue of regicide, fratricide, blinding, torturing, and enforced monasticism of rivals for the throne. At times I couldn't wait for the Ottomans to come in and finish off the whole thing.

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Summary: A Romantic View of a Glorius Forgotten Empire
Review: Lord Norwich has done a fantastic job with this book. Though it may not be the most indepth, it does give the reader a wonderful introduction to what the often forgotten empire of Byzantium. The reader is introduced to a cast of characters unriveled in any historical work, men like Justinian and Constantine the Great. This book is unforgettable from the moment you begin reading. Lord Norwich removes much of the unfair criticisim laid on the Later Roman Empire, by its chief detractor Edward Gibbon. He exposes the emperors for what most of them were decent upright people trying to stay alive in a rough world. His moving epilogue to the fall of Constantinople is also one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of reading. For anyone interested in the true history of the Roman empire this book is a must read.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting, at times fascinating, always informative.
Review: Norwich's survey of Byzantium is a wonderful tour of a culture that is too little known in the west. The book covers over a millennium and thus the pace is often breakneck. Norwich does a fine job of pointing out the political machinations that were the real reasons behind ostensibly religious events such as the enthronement of patriarchs and the crusades. Throughout the narrative we meet with fascinating individuals such as John the Beautiful, or Frederick Barbarossa. Indeed, there is much western history here as well, as Rome, Venice, and other city states came into contact with Byzantium. The book is an abbreviated version of the three volume History of Byzantium, and is organized well, into digestible chapters.
I have decided to read Norwich's History of Venice next, so masterful a guide is he.