A History of the Ostrogoths (Midland Book)

Rating:
Summary: Well-Researched but Leaden Story of the Ostrogoths
Review: The story of the Ostrogoths and their spread throughout Europe, particularly their brief is a fascinating one, particularly the age of Theodoric, and this book is doubtless one of the leading academic texts on the topic. Unfortunately it suffers the usual problem with academic texts; namely it assumes the reader knows the underlying narrative, chronology and characters, and thus dispenses with those boring, unnecessary details in order to meditate on themese and historiography. For readers new to this area I would recommend Bury's Barbarian Invasions of Europe instead of this work.

Rating:
Summary: "A Superb Overview of the Ostrogoths"
Review: Thomas Burns' work on the Ostrogothic peoples is interesting, comprehensive, and full of abundant research material for individuals particularly inclined to the study of Germanic tribes and the Later Roman Empire. From the Goths early migrations, incursions, and relations with Rome, all the way to transient dominance under Theodoric the Great and his lesser successors, Burns, the accomplished scholar, artfully blends his deep knowledge of the original sources with contemporary archaeological lore. In doing so, he pieces together fragments of a civilization often clouded by obscurity and presents a work that grasps with clarity all aspects of Ostrogothic society: religion, warfare, art, administration, and the Goths social adaptations within the confines of the Imperial borders to name a few. This work is likely to be the best study of its kind; Thomas Burns has much to offer.