Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization

As the continuation of the Roman Empire, even as the Greek language mostly replaced Latin, Byzantium had a long, proud history, even in its own years from about 400 AD to 1453 and its final collapse to Muslim invaders who were intent on taking it for centuries. I've been interested in this story since I wrote a (very good!) college paper on it long ago. It's heroic tale, with many venal characters. I especially value this realm for the way Christianity grew up within its protection, from Italy all the way around to what is now Libya, especially nurturing the Holy Lands of the Levant. I view it as an historical tragedy that Byzantium succumbed so steadily, albeit gradually, to the Mohammedan invasions, enabled as they were by the lack of seriousness and foresight of Byzantine leaders. Byzantine history will someday be presented in detail as the world's longest, most complicated ("byzantine'), extraordinary and all true soap opera. There are many lessons to learn from its rule, successes & failures that still apply. This book tells it well with a very manageable style and unavoidably condensed events and personae. It is easy reading, but with informative footnotes. There is a bit of duplication here and there, but overall this is a book worth embracing and keeping in one's library thereafter.

My interest in the Byzantine Empire was piqued by the 11th Century chronicles of Michael Psellus (see the review in a previous post), so I ordered this relatively short, recent history of the Empire’s history from the founding of Constantinople by the eponymous Illyrian badass and ardent Christian convert, Constantine the Great, to the fall of the city in 1453, her mighty walls shattered by enormous Ottoman cannon. This is a lot of material to cover and the author does so briskly while also being careful to be thorough and accurately sourced. The back jacket of the book states that Mr. Brownworth is a former high school history teacher, but he shows as much flair for writing popular, accessible history as many other, more highly accredited authors. Like all empires from Rome onward, there is a large focus in the book on the Byzantine emperors and their personalities, an unavoidable consequence of studying any autocracy where everything (at least supposedly) turns on the word of just one man. A parade of characters passes down through the long ages, some outstanding, many contemptible, and a great deal utterly mediocre. Brownsworth makes the interesting point that as long as an emperor was strong and knew how to organize the empire’s resources (with special emphasis on the broad, fertile Anatolian plain), the Byzantines flourished or, at least, held their own. This was a remarkable feat in light of the constant series of threats posed to the empire over centuries, beset from all sides, Persians, Slavs, Bulgars, Crusaders, Arabs, and worst of all and finally, the Ottoman Turks. It was only when the Byzantines were deprived of Anatolia by the Turks that the empire truly began to falter and at last fail. The author notes that while Western Europe was plunged into illiteracy and Frankish kings lived little better than peasants, learning and luxury still flourished in Constantinople and the empire’s other great cities. He points out that for centuries the Byzantine Empire acted as a buffer for Western Europe, a bulwark between the weak, disorganized feudal realms and the rampant forces of Islam. Much learning was gained by the West from the Byzantines, especially after the fall of Constantinople when many Greek scholars fled to Italy seeking patronage from the Pope among others. This history does a valuable service in filling in a large gap in the general picture of medieval European history. I think the most valuable thing to be gained from this book is a sense of the remarkable strength of the Byzantine polity. Located in the very cockpit of empire, prone to invasion by land and sea from all directions, attacked by powerful enemies almost from the beginning, and riven by dissension (religious and otherwise), treachery, and disloyalty, Constantinople and its empire still managed to somehow persist in a distinctly recognizable form for over a thousand years. And when the end came, the last emperor (also named Constantine) died fighting in the breached walls for his city and his people, a true medieval paladin. I recommend this book to fans of medieval history and to anyone interested in a good account of a very strange and alien, long passed civilization and culture whose echoes still loudly sound today.

Lars Brownworth has given us an excellent general account of the Byzantine Empire stretching from it's foundations at the permanent division of the Roman Empire under Diocletian and the city's founding by Constantine all the way to the final taking of the city by the Muslim Turks. I have to say that the author did a really good job of presenting the reader with the essentials of the history of Byzantium. This book is meant to present the reader with the major periods, rulers, conflicts, religious concepts and architecture of what we know as the Eastern Roman Empire. The author certainly hits the "high points" well without burdening the general reader with lists of emperors, battles and patriarchs. This is a book written for the general reader unacquainted with the later Roman Empire in the east and how it continued to survive and even thrive for a millennium after Rome itself "fell" and the last western emperor was removed from the throne. There's so much that the author covers from religion to military history that I was pleasantly surprised he was able to do it in an enjoyable fashion that never bored me with too many dates, battles, or emperors. Instead, the author covers the emperors that were important and ruled during times of success or failure that changed history, religious questions that divided the empire and battles that stand out as decisive in the long-term. Having read more in-depth works on Byzantine warfare, I think the author effectively balances giving the reader enough detail while keeping a focus on the big picture. I think the author made it an enjoyable read that kept me wanting to get to that next chapter on break or after work. This is something I value highly - not simply the knowledge to write on a subject, but also the writing ability to make that knowledge readable for the buyer. Even though I have already read other works about the Byzantine Empire, I enjoyed this work and learned more than I thought I would. This is a five-star book that I recommend to anyone interested in the other Roman Empire.

For most people the Byzantine Empire was a mysterious region way off to the side of the maps of Medieval Europe, a side show to the Middle Ages. Lars Brownworth, in a well written and vivid chronicle, has rescued the Byzantines from obscurity and returned them to their proper place as the inheritors and continuation of ancient Rome. The Eastern Roman Empire (it was not called "Byzantine" until the nineteenth century) survived and flourished when the Western Empire collapsed. It was wealthier and more heavily populated than the West, and it was spared the main onslaughts of the nomadic invasions which threatened the West. Its capital Constantinople became one of the great cities of the age, filled with magnificent palaces, churches, stadiums, and markets. It was a devoutly Christian empire and a bulwark against the spreading Muslim regions for hundreds of years before it finally fell to the Turks in 1453. Brownworth primarily concentrates on the personalities of the successive emperors who ruled (or misruled) the empire. He charts the ebb and flow of empire as the Byzantines went through periods of great prosperity and growth followed by eras of decline and weakness. As I read, I recognized anew why we use "byzantine" to describe devious and underhanded political behavior and "iconoclast" for those who challenge accepted practices. Because this is a history aimed at general readers rather than specialists, Brownworth tends to avoid heavy discussions of some of the deeper theological controversies that divided Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, and he pays very little attention to events going on outside the Byzantine Empire, so that readers don't get a full sense, for example, that the Muslim world had at least as vibrant a culture. But Lost to the West is an absorbing and entertaining read that will open its' readers eyes to the fascinating history of Constantinople and its empire.

This is a well written book for a general audience. It is not meant to be a thorough & academic study. The book covers the 'entire' 1,223 year history of the Byzantine empire within only 304 pages. So, obviously this is just an introductory course to wet the appetite. The author does a masterful job in doing this. You gain just enough knowledge of key periods that you greatly desire to delve deeper into the history of this seemingly forgotten empire. "The greatest tragedy in its vast and glorious tapestry is not the way in which it fell, but that it has been consigned to irrelevance, its voices unheeded and its lessons unlearned. For those who have eyes to see, however, the lonely Theodosian walls still stand, battered and abused, marching the long miles of the Sea of Marmara to the waters of the Golden Horn. There they serve as a fitting testament to the epic struggle of five centuries ago, an unwavering reminder that the Roman Empire didn't expire in the humiliation of a little Augustus, but in the heroism of a Constantine."

After reading Charles Freeman's "Egypt, Greece and Rome: Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean", I became absolutely intrigued by the Byzantine Empire. Freeman's book basically ends with Constantine converting to Christianity and the sack of Rome. I wanted to know more and decided to give this book a try. I am glad I did. First and foremost this is a historical book, but perhaps not what I would consider a true history book. That is to imply a thoroughly footnoted book of facts with no author opinion (is this even possible anymore?). I don't think this is a fault; and for all those who somehow discredit the book because of this are kind of missing the point. Brownworth does an excellent job of "fleshing out" the emperors and major figures throughout the Byzantine Empire's history. His writing is at times a little sarcastic, but not annoyingly so. Consider that we are talking about a very brutal time in history. Basically people retained power by murder, exploitation, banishment, mutilation, and bribery. Some of this "tongue in cheek" type writing is warranted because it is hard to relate to the circumstances of the time. I found myself at times really empathizing with the various emperors and generals described in the book. The author does an incredible job of pulling the reader in with personalities to draw more important points regarding the state of the empire. Towards the end of the book there is a sense of foreboding - you know how it ends but you still want to read onwards. The end of the book definitely had an impact on me. Brownworth does not disguise his contempt for the senseless crusader sack of Constantinople and the Turk invasion of Eastern Europe. I think he makes good points regarding these events. I found the underlying tone of the Byzantine contribution to the Renaissance interesting as well. Overall an outstanding read.

This book isn’t just a great introduction to the Eastern Roman Empire, but a great book about it in general. Brownsworth opens up by stating that the Roman Empire actually fell with Constantinople in 1453 (a belief that I also share). He also follows then by correctly stating the term “Byzantine Empire” is indeed a name given retroactively. The book spans roughly a thousand years diving into the various figureheads, cultural changes, inter-religious beef, and crisis after crisis the Eastern Romans had to endure. He admits from the start that as an author, he’s taking a personality-driven approach with this book, which really makes for a good flow. In fact I couldn’t put it down. Sure one could argue he’s biased on behalf of a few emperors, but nothing is objective and their accomplishments speak for themselves. Great read that doesn’t claim to be some dry 1,000-page academic work, while at the same time not sacrificing its historical integrity. 5/5 stars.

I have waited for years to read this book, and I was not disappointed. Brownsworh brings to life an incredible past lost to the west. I highly recommend this book to anyone who holds interest to Roman history and Greek culture. And anybody curious about the middle east, Mediterranean and birh of Islam. A world forgotten.

I read a few books on the mistreated History of the Eastern Roman Empire but I have to say that the author of this particular piece of work has entertained me like no other. The very accessible writing style, the notes kept at a bare minimum for a better reading flow coupled with a great sense of humor made me enjoy this book a lot. Well done!

very sweet

Magnificient historiography of Byzantium. 11 centuries gracefully narrated. Highly recommended for beginners. Brownworth amused me almost every single page of the book.

Livro muito bem escrito e extremamente interessante, trata de uma parte da história muito pouco contada e desconhecida por grande parte das pessoas. Linguagem bem fácil de ler e escrita dinâmica, sem entrar em detalhes desnecessários. Os capítulos tratam de forma resumida os mais importantes líderes do Império Bizantino, permitindo um overview impressionante de uma etapa importantíssima para a história e cultura do Ocidente. Altamente recomendado não apenas para quem gosta de história, mas também para quem tem curiosidade e busca uma boa leitura.

This book is quite brilliant, facinating and insightful. I have since read more about this region and time to build a better understanding of our world today. One day I will make it to see the great church for myself.