Byzantium and the Early Islamic Conquests [Paperback]

Walter E. Kaegi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 1995 | ISBN-10: 0521484553 | ISBN-13: 978-0521484558

This is a study of how and why the Byzantine empire lost many of its most valuable provinces to Islamic conquerors in the seventh century, provinces that included Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia and Armenia. It investigates conditions on the eve of those conquests, mistakes in Byzantine policy toward the Muslims, the course of the military campaigns, and the problem of local official and civilian collaboration with the Muslims. It also seeks to explain how after some terrible losses the Byzantine government achieved some intellectual rationalization of its disasters and began the complex process of transforming and adapting its fiscal and military institutions and political controls in order to prevent further disintegration.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It is good to see military history written competently by someone who knows the sources well and, what is more, has visited the sites of the major conflicts; Kaegi is good on the importance of landscape, strategy and confusion in deciding the outcome....[A] robust approach...." Hugh Kennedy, Times Literary Supplement

"It is refreshing to read about the conquests from a Byzantinist's perspective and by one who is also familiar with the Arabic sources....Kaegi has presented a thorough and balanced view of the early Islmaic conquests of Byzantine territories. His assertion, based on a judicious reading of the sources, that these conquests were not inevitable is a welcome addition to the scholarship on this period." Ara Dostourian, Journal of the Society for Armenian State

"...will remain for many years to come the fundamental work on the subject and will be the foundation on which any future historian of the conquests will have to build." Journal of the American Oriental Society

Book Description

The Byzantine empire lost many of its most valuable provinces to Islamic conquerors in the seventh century, including Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia and Armenia. This study investigates the eve of the conquests, as well as how the Byzantine government eventually came to rationalize its disasters.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (March 31, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521484553
• ISBN-13: 978-0521484558
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,098,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Balanced on historical accounts, attractive, appealing, March 26, 2000

By 

"muslimhistorian" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Byzantium and the Early Islamic Conquests (Paperback)

Kaegi broke the habitual insights into the early breakdown of the Byzantine Empire that usually "blame" external factors such as Armenian disertion, Christian Arabs flight from the battlefield, or even natural catastrophy. The book points out that the Muslims have done everything to secure victory, they even played down the political traps neatly set by the Greeks. Also, the Byzantines' weaknesses and strategic flaws were thoroughly explained without the usual "blame-it-on-someone/something" basis.

A much clearer picture of what went on in the frontline (or rather front cities) and temporary Byzantine's headquarter at Antioch was presented excellently. Along with what the Muslims' Generals carefully thought about their disintegrating, once formidable, foe. A must for anyone interested on the field, a necessity for any researcher looking for a fresh approach on the subject

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Should have been 5 stars, July 10, 2008

By 

R. C. Schmults "rob0" (Brookline, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Byzantium and the Early Islamic Conquests (Paperback)

I actually really enjoyed this book. It did a great job shedding light on why Byzantium caved so quickly to the initial Islamic conquest in the 7th century. It also did a nice job dispelling some of the more commonly cited (but insufficiently supported) explainations -- especially in regards to the religious differences between the Church Hiearchy and the population of Syria and the surrounding areas which therefore explained why the Muslim Arabs seems to be able to take over so easily. Kaegi instead gives a well reasoned and researched description of the exhausted state of the area after the delibatiting Persian war and the lack of manpower available to Heraclius as a result of years of plague and war. All that said, this book is one of the more poorly edited books I have read in a while (e.g., multiple cases of sloppy repetition). It actually causes a distraction in reading the book. Bear that in mind if you want to read this. While less specifically addressing the conquests, if you want a higher level and more readiable book, get "Justinian's Flea" instead.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent scholarship, poor writing, July 1, 2007

By 

Felix Sonderkammer (Somerville, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Byzantium and the Early Islamic Conquests (Paperback)

Kaegi's book is a landmark study of one of the most important events in the history of the Byzantine Empire. His use of both Arab and Byzantine sources and his insistence on military factors are crucial for treating this subject properly.

However, this book is almost unreadable. In several instances Kaegi repeats himself within a chapter, covering the same subject that he has already discussed as if one were reading a draft in progress. He also uses many infelicitious if not nonsensical phrases such as "victorious defeat" (p. 259). His brief, choppy sentences are frequently banal.