The Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261-1453 (Second Edition) [Paperback]

Donald M. Nicol (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 29, 1993 | ISBN-10: 0521439914 | ISBN-13: 978-0521439916 | Edition: 2

The Byzantine empire in the last two centuries of its existence had to rebuild itself after its conquest and dismemberment by the Fourth Crusade in 1204. Its emperors in exile recovered Constantinople in 1261 and this book narrates their empire's struggles for survival from that date until its final conquest by Ottoman Turks in 1453. First published in 1972, the book has been completely revised to take account of recent scholarship. It remains the best synthesis of the political, ecclesiastical and historical events of the period.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...the most authoritative and comprehensive survey of the history of the Palaiologan empire." The Journal of Ecclesiastical History

"...more than welcome....Nicol's book still remains the only effort of its kind in modern Byzantine studies...." Times Literary Supplement

Book Description

After its conquest and dismemberment by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the Byzantine empire's rulers in exile recovered Constantinople in 1261. This book narrates their struggles for survival from that date until final conquest by Ottoman Turks in 1453.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (October 29, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521439914
• ISBN-13: 978-0521439916
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,178,114 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Long Journey of Byzantium's Tragic but Noble End, October 26, 1999

By 

M. A. Rossi (New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261-1453 (Second Edition) (Paperback)

Donald Nicol's account of the last 250 years of Byzantine history is accurate, well written and neatly organized. Unlike studies of earlier ages for the Empire where the Empire and the Arabs ruled the East, Eastern Mediterranean history after the Fourth Crusade can get rather complex and confusing, as not only the Empire, but the "crusading" Latins, the Islamic nomads, and the Slavic Christian Kingdoms must all be considered. A tale that could easily become entangled and confusing for the reader, Nicol superbly narrates the events and provides detailed accounts of the players. He cleverly demonstrates how entrenched the beleagured Byzantines were, with the greedy Italians to the west, the encroaching Turks to the east, the growing Serbian Empire to the north, and the festering internal decay of Imperial decentralization from within. Yet, the Empire still produced great leaders like Theodore Laskaris I, John Vatazes, Michael VIII, John Cantacuzene, and perhaps the most tragic of all medieval heroes, Constantine XI Palaeologos, who all, in better times and without so many encoaching powers from the outside, may have saved the Empire from such tragedies. But in addition to this sad tale of Byzantium's fall, Nicol also narrates the flourishing of Orthodoxy in the Imperial and Slavic world, as well as the flowering of learning and thought at Mistra, in the lower Peoloponese. This alone, was the spark that triggered the resurgance of knowledge and arts in the Italian Peninsula, less than 100 years after the Fall of Constantinople. What many, scholars and readers alike, tend to forget is that Byzantium's lasting legacy lay in its cultural achievements in the Orthodox Church, as well as providing the materials and teachers that would reawaken Western Europe into that period of rebirth so commonly referred to as the Renaissance.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed account in entertaining story-telling style, September 5, 2007

By 

Stratiotes Doxha Theon "2 Thes 2:15" (Richmond, Missouri) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261-1453 (Second Edition) (Paperback)

Only a handful of historians have the gift for story-telling that Dr. Nicol demonstrates in this great work. It is an academic work in popular style comparable only to the works of Steven Runciman (see especially, The Fall of Constantinople 1453 (Canto)).

In this work, Nicol organizes the post-Latin kingdom into 4 periods, the post-Latin empire restoration (1261-1282), the era of decline (1282-1321), the civil wars (1321-1354), and the final century of Ottoman incursion (1354-1453). Each section could be studied on its own though each builds on the previous sections as a coherent whole. The final chapter concerning the last holdouts after the fall of Constantinople seemed a bit rushed compared with the rest and this reviewer was hoping for more detail there. There was one map for the entire book and that makes understanding the 200 year span of changes more difficult to follow. Inside the back cover is a family tree for the last emperor, Constantine XI. Despite the minor disappointments this important work is a fine overview of the last centuries of Byzantium and a useful and enjoyable read. The book's overall value far exceeds any of its shortcomings.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Summary of Late Byzantine History, February 17, 2012

By 

Stuart McCunn (New Haven, CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261-1453 (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book. It is a narrative history of the last 200 years of the Byzantine empire starting with the recovery of Constantinople by Michael Palaiologos. In it Michael comes off pretty well, but almost all his successors fare badly. They just didn't have what it took to balance the rising powers in both the east and west. There's really fairly little to say about this work. It does a good job, but that's it. Nicol's work is always direct and unadorned and this one is no exception. It lays out the narrative in a clear and precise manner. I would have liked more on the social history of the period, but I suppose that will have to wait for a seperate book.

Before reading this book I read Nicol's other books on this period, The Reluctant Emperor and The Immortal Emperor. I'm disappointed to say that those books are little more than a slightly expanded version of segments of this one. That in no way reduces the value of this book, but it does reduce the usefulness of those ones it you have read this first.

I conclude this review with Nicol's own words about the reason for Byzantium's final fall: "By the fifteenth century it had been amply proven that they could neither stomach their dislike of the westerners nor survive without them."