Encyclopedia of the Byzantine Empire [Hardcover]

Jennifer Lawler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2004 | ISBN-10: 0786415207 | ISBN-13: 978-0786415205

The Middle Ages as they were lived in Eastern Europe are covered in this encyclopedia. An introduction provides an overview of the Byzantine Empire—what life was like, what people wore and ate, how families were formed and cared for, and how the so-called Eastern Empire differed from its Western counterpart.

Over 1500 entries, from Adrianopolis to Zoë, embrace a broad range of topics. Illustrations include genealogies of Byzantine rulers, maps of the Empire at various stages, and photographs of Byzantine buildings and art. A pronunciation guide, a note about transliteration and spelling, a chronology of emperors, a glossary, a suggested readings list, and an index are also included.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The Byzantine Empire had an impact that was broad both temporally and geographically. Extant from 476 C.E. to 1453 C. E., when Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks, and extending across southeastern Europe, through the Middle East, and into southwestern Asia, the Byzantines influenced the course of a thousand years of history from the political level to that of daily life.

To put the "Greek" Middle Ages defined by the Byzantine Empire in context, this volume's detailed, readable introduction offers a survey of the major cultures of the period. Additional opening material on transliteration from Greek and correct pronunciation is most informative. The body of the alphabetically organized text contains 1,500 entries treating people (Attila the Hun, Justinian I), places (Hagia Sophia, Venice), and other topics (Clothing, Crusades Iconoclasm, Literature, Taxes) associated with the empire. Entries of greater relative importance are given appropriately greater weight. For example, Constantinople is covered in three columns compared to one third of a column for Court etiquette. Cross-references are noted in bold within the entry text. The black-and-white illustrations are few in number but are appropriately placed and serve to extend the text. The straightforward prose is clear if a bit dry. The volume concludes with, among other items, maps, genealogical charts of ruling families, a chronology of emperors, a glossary, an eight-page bibliography, and an accurate index.

More concise and to the point than the wide-ranging treatment in Cyril Mango's The Oxford History of Byzantium (2002), this is an excellent starting point for information on an empire that did much to form Eastern Europe. It is recommended for academic and large public libraries. Ann Welton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"many useful entries...recommended" --Choice --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 366 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub (July 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786415207
• ISBN-13: 978-0786415205
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,083,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jennifer Lawler, a writer and black belt martial artist, is the author or co-author of more than 25 non-fiction books in the how-to and self-help genres, including the popular and award-winning Dojo Wisdom series (Penguin). She is also the author of several novels.

The former editor of ATA World magazine, she has written for Family Circle, Oxygen and Cooking Light, mostly about issues related to martial arts, self defense, and personal growth. She has also written about writers' concerns for The Writer, Writer's Digest, American Writer, and others.

For the past several years, she has coached and mentored writers at various stages in their careers. She has taught many writing workshops throughout the United States, and teaches online classes for the University of California, San Diego and other organizations.

She earned a Ph.D in medieval literature from the University of Kansas and can still translate Old English if she thinks hard enough.

Her website is at www.jenniferlawler.com and her blog, Finding Your Voice, can be found at http://jenniferlawler.com/wordpress/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not recommended, August 24, 2004

By 

Polymath (Ithaca NY USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Encyclopedia of the Byzantine Empire (Hardcover)

I was prepared to like this book, as it has a nice look and feel--physically well-constructed with easy to read print arranged in two columns. However, as soon as I started reading, I encountered problems. The maps referred to in the book description are in fact only two--one of the Empire around 1025 and other around 1350. Both maps are very sketchy--only two cities are named on each, Constantinople and Venice. Then we consider the heart of the book, the entries. The Czech Republic is said to be part of the Balkan Peninsula under that entry. Under the entry for the themes, no mention is made of when the themes were initially founded or by whom; Heraclius is said to have founded them under his entry, but there is no cross reference to him under the themes entry. The entry for Belisarius implies he was in Italy continuously until 548 after first going. In his entry, Justinian is stated to have attacked the Visigoths in Spain in the 540s rather than the correct 550s. Most of the entry for Tripoli concerns the city of that name in Lebanon, but it is also stated that this city "was an important part of the trade route through the Sahara", a statement that seems more appropriate for the city of Tripoli in Libya. There is a somewhat detailed entry on Bohemia; I'm not sure why this is so in a book on Byzantium. On the plus side, there are many charts and tables and an extensive bibliography, plus some black-and-white photographs. But in my opinion the book contains too many misleading statements to be of much use either to a specialist or a casual reader. I still give the book two stars as it does in fact have a nice look and feel.