Customer Reviews

Byzantium: The Early Centuries

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you love history, and exploring unknown territory, this book is a winner! This historical narrative, complete with excellent and detailed maps, useful family trees, an extensive bibliography, and even a "List of Byzantine monuments surviving in Istanbul" (!) makes one feel like one is awaking from a coma. John Julius Norwich states: "During my five years at one of England's oldest and finest public schools, Byzantium seems to have been the victim of a conspiracy of silence. I cannot remember its being mentioned, far less studied... " This book is the cure! ---- Norwich's narrative is witty, fascinating, and informative and makes clear the huge debt Western European civilization owes to Byzantium, which shielded Europe first from the Persians, and then from Islam. (Look at your maps!) The first Christian emperor, Constantine the Great founded The Eastern Roman Empire (aka Byzantium) in 330. The Eastern Empire fell -- 1,123 years later -- in 1453 (quite a big educational gap!) This first volume (Byzantium is a trilogy!) ends at the coronation of Charlemagne as Roman Emperor of the West in the year 800. Norwich demonstrates that the Roman Empire never fell; it divided. His story is that of the Eastern Empire, but he fully examines Byzantine relations with the Papacy, Byzantium's presence in Italy, and military and diplomatic actions involving the remnants of the Western Roman Empire ----- Lord Norwich's writing style could be likened to a thread of gold (narrative) strung with countless jewels (anecdotes). This book covers five centuries and 88 rulers - and it is full of fascinating vignettes. It recapitulates the adoption of Christianity by the Roman Empire. It details wave after wave of barbarian invasion: the Vandals, the Huns, the Visigoths, the Ostrogoths, the Avars, the Bulgars, the Lombards, the Slavs, and others. It walks us through military campaigns, battles, sieges, and massacres. It tells chilling stories of court intrigue. It shows humans at their best and most bestial. It recounts the long struggle with the Persian Empire (which seems as current as the 20th century's battle with "the evil empire."). And it documents the rise of a new desert religion which swept out of Arabia and swallowed the Byzantine eastern provinces just after the Persian threat had been finally ended, i.e. Islam. --- Norwich is witty and fun to read (be prepared for subtlety and easily missed "zingers"). A word of warning - Christians without a sense of humor and a thick hide may not like Norwich's approach to issues of theology and church history. Today many may find the theological contests he scrutinizes seem absurd and esoteric. His depictions of religious figures are frequently NOT flattering. But believers and non-believers alike with a thirst for truth will find this work to be a refreshing drink! It is a book to be savored, and like any classic, to be read again and again.

I found "Byzantium - The Early Centuries" a difficult book to review and waffled continually between 3 and 4 stars, but ultimately settled on the former in the hopes that it would attract more scrutiny from fellow Amazon customers. Do realize, however, that my complaints with Lord Norwich's book might not bother a different reader; as these other reviews show, this is certainly a 4-star book for many people. I suggest you read my review, and based on the points I raise, decide for yourself if this is the type of book you might enjoy.

It first must be said that there is much to praise in the initial volume of this trilogy. Norwich writes in a very clear and entertaining style, never condescending or unnecessarily florid. His tone allows him to successfully create any number of emotions: excitement and anxiety during the siege of Constantinople by the Persians and the campaigns of Heraclius (p. 295-299); awe at the unmatched speed of the rise of Islam (p.302); disgust at the brutality of Emperors like Constantine VI who had one of his uncles blinded and cut out the tongues of the other four (p. 373). In addition to all this, Norwich is quite humorous when situation demands it. For example, while discussing the advent of "Greek Fire," Norwich quotes a contemporary author and provides this commentary: " 'The conflagration will spread and can be extinguished only by urine, vinegar or sand' - a property which, if true, would give a completely new dimension to the technique of fire-fighting" (p. 323).

But Norwich's style does not save this book from what I consider two major problems with the content. (I say two problems, but in all fairness they are simply opposite sides of the same coin.) The book focuses too much on Emperors and their personal lives, and not enough on Byzantine society. Several Emperors (e.g. Constantine, Julian the Apostate, Justinian, and Heraclius) had long and very interesting reigns, and Norwich does a fine job of chronicling their exploits; but there are many more Emperors who ruled for a short period of time, did nothing of note, died or were murdered, and simply are not interesting to read about. All to often I found myself slogging through chapters that read like this: In year X, Emperor A had disloyal advisor B tortured and murdered; B's son C led the army in revolt, deposed and killed A and married his widow D; C spent two years engaged in sexual debauchery before dying of a painful venereal disease, leaving the Empire in the hands of A's 10 year old grandson E who was as interesting as a sack of potatoes. Most of these Emperors are quite dull, and based on Norwich's account did nothing of note and had no individual personalities. I found that I had forgotten most of them within 5 pages of their deaths.

By focusing exclusively on Emperors, court intrigues, and imperial wars (the last of which I must admit I did find quite interesting), Norwich leaves out all social, economic, or cultural history. After finishing this book I have no idea what life might have been like for an average citizen of Constantinople. (As a comparison, see "A Distant Mirror" by Barbara Tuchman.) The only exception to this rule is the excellent coverage of religion, which I found interesting precisely because it sheds light on "daily life in the Byzantine Empire" (p. 187).

As a whole, I found this book to be a mixed bag. Much of it was intriguing and all of it well written, and thus it's a shame there were certain omissions and dull spots. For those concerned primarily with Emperors, or who need to refer to a basic chronology, this is a fine choice. But I fear that the general reader might sometimes get bored, as I did. As always, if you're still curious, please read it and make your own judgment.

John Julius Norwich creates a landscape of blood-soaked battlefields dominated by glorious conquering armies, and glittering marble cities filled with golden churches and restless plebeians who are as passionate about theology as they are about Chariot races. His book is filled with interesting characters: mighty emperors and generals, scheming wives and lovers, and devilishly shrewd nobles and bishops, to name a few. Norwich's story is hard to put down, and he is one of the few writers talented enough to make his historical figures leap into life and remind us that they were real people.

Is this an epic movie? A blockbuster novel? No, its history, Byzantine history, to be precise. It's not like any history you have read before. Don't look for endless lists of footnotes, dry re-hashing and reinterpretation of primary source evidence, or some Earth-shattering revelation of the latest archaeological findings. This is not a "scholar's" history, so lower that nose about 45 degrees!

And yet, Norwich gives us absolutely no reason to doubt him. His conclusions are reasonable and sound, and he makes occasional references to respected scholars such as Ostrogorsky or Bury to support his work. Norwich's history is the kind of history that inspired Machiavelli to produce a great work of political philosophy: reasonable, yet passionate and human, and above all: READABLE!

So turn off the TV, put your kids to bed and kiss your wife goodnight, pour yourself a generous cognac, and ensconce yourself in the comfortable chair by the fire -- while Viscount Norwich enthralls you into the wee hours of the morning with his masterpiece which is too good to be history!

I thoroughly enjoyed all three volumes of Norwich's history of the Byzantine Empire. In spite of myriad complexities such as theological issues, the same names used over, Papal intrigues, etc., I found it this work to be fascinating and narrated with passion and wit. I won't bore you with details, but perhaps my favorite thing that Norwich does (especially in the first volume, less so in the other two) is the manner in which he describes miraculous occurences (ie Constantine's vision) in a totally nonchalant manner and without going overboard trying to debunk them. It gives his work a touch of magic realism at times, and I find that kind of historical approach very refreshing.

I had the fortunate/unfortunate luck to pick up this trilogy back in 2002. Fortunate I was because reading these books gave me the urge to read more about the Byzantines. I was unfortunate in choosing these books because they aren't the best ones out there. Norwich uses many outdated ideas and does pay scant attention toward the lives of common folk or the economy. A much better book to start out with is A History of the Byzantine State and Society by Warren Treadgold. The Treadgold book is better for a number of reasons, the most important is a large bibliography which comments on the myriad of secondary and primary sources available for each time period. BSS also has detailed maps and tables to help the reader place themselves in the book. Finally, Treadgold's work is just as rich and lively as Norwich's three volume work, only cheaper!

There are other magnificent works by other authors as well (BYZANTIUM: THE EMPIRE OF NEW ROME History of Civilization by C. Mango is one) which offer the reader a truly delightful learning experience. If you're looking for a tale during a long flight or train ride Norwich is your kind of man, but if you'd like to delve deeper into Byzantine history (while having fun!) I would suggest at least Treadgold you won't regret it.

This book is for anyone interested in history, especially ancient one. It is NOT for people who have NO interest in history at all, or (at the other end of the spectrum) people with a deep knowledge of Byzantine History (most of which have at least heard of Norwich and know they won't find anything new here).
However, if you are like this reviewer, an occasional history / biography reader with absolutely no previous knowledge of Byzantium (except, perhaps, that it is present - day Istanbul), then you are a perfect candidate for this book. READ IT! By the end you will have learned about people like Constantine the Great, Julian the Apostate, St. John Chrysostom, Justinian and his wife Theodora, and my personal favorite, Belisarius, one of the greatest Generals of all time. Oh! And did I mention Attila the Hun, and the Goths? A highly commendable read.

Norwich's three volume history is the definitive narrative history of the Byzantine Empire from Diocletian to the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. This first volume begins with the original division of the Roman Empire by Diocletiona and ends with the crowning of Charlemagne as the Roman Emperor.

Norwich shows us the first five centuries of Byzantine history as a continuation of the Roman Empire. We see the Justinian administrative reforms and his reconquest of Italy and Africa; Heraclius's successful (short term, as he points out) war against the Sassanid Persians; the influence of early Islam and the loss of the wealthiest Imperial territories to the Arabs; and, finally, the way that Byzantium was viewed from western Europe.

Along the way he comments on the "what-if's" of history through the lens of perfect hindsight. We learn that despite Justinian's "greatness" his megalomania began the long decline of the Empire; that Heraclius's amazing victory over the Sassanids resulted in long-term failure to defend Egypt and Syria from the Arabs; and that the very wealth and ostentation that made Constaninople glorious created many jealous enemies.

If you are looking for a good history through which you can learn the major outline of events in early Byzantine history your search is over. If you are looking for elegant historical prose and a thoughtful historical narrative, your search is over, too. Norwich's work cannot be too highly regarded.

Calling this book "Byzantium" is something of a mistake; "The Borders of Byzantium" would be a better title. Lord Norwich writes in the old-school style of generals and conquests and seems to sorely miss the British Empire. Relying mainly on dubious contemporary sources (which he himself likes to joke about in some of the book's better moments), he constructs an uneven tales of emperors, their wives, and generals and their tales of conquest and sexual proclivities. Ignoring the last century of archaelogy and scholarly work, he portrays a world of warfare in which manliness is measured by the size of one's claims to lands and the indegenous populations are little more than the to-be-conquered. Complexities are set aside for simple moral distinctions and cursory examinations of the veracity of the authors. There are many problems with his account of history. First, his focus on the military conquests places undue emphasis on the generals who fought the wars and were rarely ever in Byzantium proper. This, in turn, diminishes the importance of the individual emperors; the reader is unlikely to be able to identify why Justinian was one of the most important emperors based on Norwich's account because he almost completely neglects his work on domestic affairs. Second, Norwich never actually focuses on Byzantium. This is a terrible, terrible oversight. Instead he focuses on the loss and occasional recapture of lands formerly under the control of the Roman Empire (not surprising since Venice specifically and Italy generally are his favorite subjects about which to write). One might be tempted to wonder why the slavs and avars are able to encamp at Chosroes, not far from Constantinople itself while their ally, an infamous Persian general manages to ride straight to their camp in Byzantium to plan their coordinated attack. This shocking episode is glossed over without comment by Norwich! Again, the actual state of Byzantium gets short shrift; domestic issues are covered only when they are important to the future of Christianity in the European lands in which he is so obviously interested. Even for what it is, a military history, it's not very good. There are only a modicum of maps at the beginning of the book and these prove inadequate for the troop movements he describes. Aside from throwing a lot of men into battle, I still have very little idea as to why Byzantium won sometimes and lost others. If that's your focus, you might enjoy this book, but I would certainly supplement it with installments from the "Men-At-Arms" series or a better military history. That said, it's not all bad. Gibbon he's not, but it's relatively entertaining, if repetitive, reading if you're after the story and not the details. His asides and footnotes are light-hearted and amusing and anyone truly interested in Byzantium might profit by having this series around as a sort of cross-reference. Granted that, so far, this is the only book in the trilogy that I have read....

If I'd never read a page of John Julius Norwich's work, I would have saved a lot of money. This isn't a complaint, merely a fact.

Granted, as a history buff who has caught the travel bug, I might have eventually wended my way to Istanbul. But Norwich's "Byzantium" trilogy--especially this first volume--made it clear that Istanbul/Constantinople, was a city with a fascinating, beguiling past, the capital of an empire lasting over a thousand years whose greatest achievements in art and architecture were still very much on display and rivalled their counterparts anywhere. Norwich certainly pushed me to prioritize Istanbul as a destination. It now reigns as my favorite city in the world, and I wonder how much I owe Norwich's work for raising my appreciation of the city's richness. Probably a bunch.

Of course, this wasn't written as a guidebook and won't serve you well as such, at least not by itself. But within a narrative history that manages to be witty whilst galloping at breakneck pace, "The Early Centuries" also provides enough background on people and events to give readers a sense of how the Byzantime Empire functioned at the highest level (often bloodily), and of the centrality of Orthodox Christianity to the culture.

The entire trilogy is open to the charge that it tends to be focused on emperors and courts rather than the "little people." This seems a bit like complaining that this isn't a different book with different goals. The poor author already has to cover more than one year per page. And if many emperors' reigns seem to fly by in an indistinguishable flurry, Norwich is a master of the quick character sketch, offering a telling charcter quirk or deed (or death) for even the least memorable emperors.

Arguably, Norwich's focus on courts and palaces is a boon to the potential tourist because it means a focus largely on Constantinople. This gives readers the "deep background" that provides a wonderful context for any trip to Istanbul. It may be one thing to see the city walls reading only the guidebook descriptions, and another to be aware of the many sieges they repulsed over a thousand years--until the world-changing night they were finally breached (this event not covered til volume 3 of course). It may be one thing to appreciate Aya Sofia as the miracle of architecture it is, and another to know of the riots that led to the burning of its predecessor church on the site (and subesquent massacre of some 30,000 souls in the nearby Hippodrome), thus clearing the way for the construction of what was arguably the grandest place of worship in the world for a thousand years.

This is interesting stuff. After all, this is the empire that was at the height of its riches whilst most of Europe sufferred through "The Dark Ages." Norwich handles this wealth of material adroitly. His prose is simply a pleasure to read. You'll seldom be more engaged by a history full of people and events you haven't heard of before. Unless you proceed to the following volumes of Norwich's trilogy, or give his comparably accomplished (and travel-inducing/enriching) "A History of Venice" a spin, but that's another story.

By the way, the book that those who criticize Norwich's "Emperor-centric" perspective want is Cyril Mango's "Byzantium: The Empire of the New Rome," apparently out of print but readibly available used:

Byzantium: The Empire of the New Rome

With it's emphasis on economic and population trends, Mango's short, incisive work isn't a narrative and presumes some knowledge of Byzantine history--just the sort of info that Norwich provides.

Some time ago, I read the third volume of this set before reading this one and the second volume; in my review of that book, I acknowledged my mistake, and indicated that the sheer volume of information presented was somewhat overwhelming for a novice, but suspected that it would have been less so had I not made the mistake of reading the third volume first. Now I'm not so sure; Norwich's prose is still surprisingly readable, his (admittedly dry) humor still enjoyably unexpected in a book about a subject so potentially dry. But even starting from the beginning, and even with the advantage of having read the third book (perhaps not much of an advantage, but at least when reading this book I wasn't as rank a novice on the subject as I had been when reading the third) the sheer volume of information was still somewhat daunting. Nonetheless, that has more to do with the subject matter than with Norwich, who organizes his information very clearly. There is, after all, a reason why the adjective Byzantine came to mean complex and convoluted.

Norwich is excellent at providing both the modern and period name of any place he mentions, which can avoid a great deal of confusion, and he generally makes at least passable hand-waving gestures at acknowledging situations in which the scarcity of available information makes definitive knowledge of actions and, particularly, motives uncertain at best, while still providing us with what he considers the most plausible explanations for events. He makes no bones about not being a professional historian, so for someone already well-versed in the subject matter, there is presumably nothing new here unless it is an interpretation of Norwich's which doesn't fit the standard interpretation of events. But for someone like me, previously totally uninformed on the subject, this book, indeed this entire set (presumably; I haven't begun the second yet) is a wonderful primer.