Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime & FREE Returns

FREE delivery: Thursday, Aug 12 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Details

Fastest delivery: Wednesday, Aug 11
Order within 12 hrs and 33 mins Details

Only 20 left in stock - order soon.

$$19.00 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Ships from	Amazon.com
Sold by	Amazon.com

Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Return policy: Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery: Friday, Aug 13 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Details

Used: Very Good | Details

Sold by Story Expressions, LLC

Fulfilled by Amazon

Share

Other Sellers on Amazon

$16.13
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: TheWorldShop - Ships from Overseas

$16.15
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: BOOKS etc. _

$21.88
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: InfiniteBooks_USA

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 2 images

Follow the Author

Raffaele D'Amato

The Varangian Guard 988-1453 (Men-at-Arms) Paperback – Illustrated, June 22, 2010

by Raffaele D’Amato (Author), Giuseppe Rava (Illustrator)

71 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Paperback, Illustrated

"Please retry"

$19.00

$12.13

$11.45

Paperback
$19.00

13 Used from $11.45 13 New from $12.13

The Varangian Guards were Viking mercenaries who operated far beyond their native shores as an elite force within the Byzantine Armies. Descendants from a legendary line of warriors, the Varangian Guard was formed after a group of Viking mercenaries made a major contribution to the Byzantine Emperor Basil II's victory over rebel forces in 988 AD. These 5,000 men were then retained as Basil's personal guard and would provide loyal service to many successive occupants of the imperial throne.

Commonly referred to as 'foreigners' (Etaireia), they were nonetheless absorbed into a new Palatine regiment under command of an officer termed the Akolouthos, who was either a Norsemen or a Rus (Norsemen colonizers of Russia). The Varangians wore mixtures of their native clothing and armor together with a splendid formal Byzantine uniform. But most famously, they always wielded their own traditional battle-axes; this became a sign that the emperor was on the battlefield in person. This is an insightful look of one of the legendary guard units of the medieval world, complete with a dazzling array of artwork plates showing the Varangian Guard in an array of settings from court ceremonies to the battlefield.

Print length

48 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Osprey Publishing
Publication date

June 22, 2010
Dimensions

7.29 x 0.12 x 9.84 inches
ISBN-10

1849081794
ISBN-13

978-1849081795
See all details

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Ian Heath
31
Paperback
20 offers from $11.41
Ian Heath
34
Paperback
36 offers from $4.41
Terence Wise
61
Paperback
35 offers from $5.75
Sigfús Blöndal
21
Paperback
14 offers from $39.13
Charles River Editors
4
Paperback
3 offers from $9.99
Ian Heath
57
Paperback
60 offers from $3.46

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Ian Heath
31
Paperback
20 offers from $11.41
Ian Heath
34
Paperback
36 offers from $4.41
David Nicolle
28
Paperback
24 offers from $12.00
Mark Harrison
34
Paperback
26 offers from $7.99
Terence Wise
61
Paperback
35 offers from $5.75
Raffaele D’Amato
30
Paperback
16 offers from $10.47

From the Publisher

Men at Arms; Osprey series; military history


Full colour artwork Beautifully illustrated scenes are included to bring the narrative of the conflict to life.	Detailed uniform illustrations Specially commissioned full colour illustrations are included alongside comprehensive captions to give a full breakdown of the attire and equipment used on the battlefield.	Photographs Each volume features a wide range of photographs, which provide unparalleled detail of the uniforms and weaponry used by the combatants.

Men at Arms; Osprey series; military history

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The Varangian Guard 988-1453 shines a spotlight on legendary warriors who operated far beyond their native shores as an elite force within the Byzantine army ... Overall this 48-page book is a slender but insightful look at one of the legendary guard units of the medieval world.” ―Toy Soldier & Model Figure

About the Author

Dr Raffaele D'Amato is an experiencd Turin-based reseracher of the ancient world. He is an external professor to the Athens University School of Philosophy and Material Culture. He has previously written Roman Military Clothing (3) and Imperial Roman Naval Forces 31 BC-AD 500 for Osprey Publishing.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Osprey Publishing; Illustrated edition (June 22, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1849081794
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1849081795
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.29 x 0.12 x 9.84 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #446,853 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #93 in Military Regiment History
- #3,091 in Great Britain History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
71 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		70%
4 star		17%
3 star		11%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		2%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Amazingly in depth for such an obscure topic

Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2019

Verified Purchase

I chose to do a massive project on the Varangians for a medieval art history course and quickly regretted it. At both the colleges and entire city's inventory, I could only find two books which were extremely old and barely touched on the topic. After searching a bit, I came across this Men-At-Arms series, which I figured I might as well try for such a cheap price. It completely saved my project. It's a relatively small book, but densely packed with all sorts of information and pictures on military history, gear, weapons, timelines, and more. Even though it's a ton of information, it's a relatively easy read. I'm very grateful for this series and now know where to look in the future for any more history projects.

One person found this helpful

Varangian Guard

Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2020

Verified Purchase

I'm generally a fan of the Osprey series. This book is OK, but a tad thin. It's a rare history of a unique historical military group, the mostly Viking Varangians. The author waffles a bit on the etymology of Varangian, which is based on a corruption of the Arabic //Franki//, originally meaning the Germanic tribe in France, but later applied to all northern Europeans. A variant of the term is applied to all "white foreign devils" and other colonial oppressors across south Asia.

Excellent Little Book for those interested in the Varangian Guard or the reign of Basil II

Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2013

Verified Purchase

I chose this rating because this is an easy to read, enjoyable little book simply packed solid with information about this particular period of time and this particular part of the Byzantine armies. The rule of Basil II is a fascinating period of Byzantine history with a truly interesting ruler. Part of one of the golden ages of Byzantium, my friends and I pool our efforts and enjoy studying this narrow slice of history. Our limit is to force depth and breadth in our study, and it is a truly fun endeavor. This book is one I like to give as a starter book for new persons to our little group.

I would happily use this book in home schooling, and even young teens will find the reading level accessible, and the material interesting enough to persevere if it proves slightly harder to read than anticipated. Boys in particular find this book worth the effort to grow in their reading skills. I consider it an entry book for the entire study of the middle ages.

One person found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2020

Verified Purchase

I love this book because I am a HUGE fan of the Blizzard entertainment "Diablo" franchise. The Barbarians from the north that come down south to save the world from the terrorizing hordes of evil. Lol, It's an often overlooked part of our history.

Sound introduction to an elite guard

Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2010

Verified Purchase

A fascinating work, a part of Osprey Publishing's "Men-at-Arms" series (Osprey seems to have scores of series!). The thin volume explores the Varangian Guard, an intriguing set of soldiers in the Byzantine military.

The Guard began as Scandinavians who had settled in Russia (e.g., in the Kiev area). Later, many hired out to the Eastern Roman Empire as soldiers (men-at-arms). Pages 4-6, at the outset, provide a useful chronology of the Guard's linkage to the Empire. The book also has narrative, on a century to century basis, of the Guard--from the 10th century through the 15th century. Over time, they evolved from an elite unit in the army to the Emperor's own guard.

The Guard appears to have numbered between 4,000 to 6,000 soldiers (for the most part) over time. The book discusses leadership, their service in the army as well as their service as imperial guards, equipment (several pages of colorful pictures of troops, uniforms, and weapons). The book concludes with a brief but helpful bibliography.

Since I knew very little about the Varangian Guard, even this slim book was a nice resource, helping me to learn something of this military force.

6 people found this helpful

The Varangian Guard 988-1453

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2011

Verified Purchase

The Men-at Arms series has traditionally provided a good introduction to,and overview of, a variety of military units throughout history, together with well-illustrated colour plates and, where possible, photos of historical artifacts. This title is representative of the series as a whole, and provides an informative overview of the Varangian Guards from their inception until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. My only serious criticism of this title (and it is a criticism that extends to others in this series that deal particulary with the military history of the "Dark Ages", is a complete absence of maps! It would be valuable to know, for example, what was the extent of the Byzantium Empire over the period covered, and where is (was) Abydos - as in the victory of, in 989 - or Eski Zagra - as in victory at, in 1122!!! Such information would then place the deployment of these Guards into context, and would help to make sense of the general military situation facing the Byzantium Empire at different times in their history.

13 people found this helpful

The book does a good job of giving a general idea of what the ...

Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

I lead a group if Viking reenactors known as Draugar Vinlands. The book was a gift for one of our members who is interested in building a Varangian Gaurdsman impression.

The book does a good job of giving a general idea of what the Varangian guard was all about.

It's loaded with photos and color plates showing costume, clothing, weapons, and armor from the time period.

I am very pleased with my purchase.

Regards,

Jarl Ingvar Schildknacker

One person found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2018

Verified Purchase

Love it, but was actually expecting more

One person found this helpful

Top reviews from other countries

JPS

Mostly good, but some problems that could have been avoided

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2012

Verified Purchase

This Osprey booklet on the Varangian Guard of Byzantium draws heavily from Blôndal and Beneditz "The Varangians of Byzantium" which has at last been reprinted and remains the major reference on the subject. To this, it adds a few paragraphs inspired by archaeological findings in Bulgaria, and in particular at Dristra (with the author using the modern Bulgarian name of Drastar) where the emperor Alexios Komnenos suffered one of his worst defeats in 1087 and where Varangians were present.

As other reviewers had already commented upon, Rava's plates are rather gorgeous. Some of sections, in particular the one on Guard service and on Equipment, are particularly good summaries. Others, however, are perhaps more questionable. For instance, the discussion on numbers and organization is rather cursory, perhaps because of space limitations. There seems to be no distinction made between Tagmata (professional regiments) of Rus or Varangians, and the Varangian Guard itself. It seems unlikely, for instance, that the Varangian Guard numbered 6000 in 1203.

However, mercenary Rus infantry regiments PLUS the Guard could perhaps have made up such a total. In reality, we simply do not know the exact proportions or numbers at all times, neither how they evolved over time. Since the Varangians were not only bodyguards but also very much shock troops, losses tended to be heavy, even when the Varangians won. Since the sources mention that Basil II first received 6000 warriors in 988 and still had the same number with him some 12 years later, despite a number of hard fought victories, an implication, not mentioned in the book, is that losses must have been replenished by a constant stream of recruits attracted by the high pay and encouraged to enlist by their own Prince, too happy to get rid of turbulent warriors.

One problem I had with the book is that, with a few exceptions (the battle of Eski Zagra in particular), we do not learn much about the performances of the Varangians. We are told about their great reputation as warriors. We are shown how their alleged rashness supposedly led to the disaster of Dyrrachium, according to Anna Komnene eager to shift responsibility for this military disaster away from her father. We are also told of how they largely got themselves killed at Mantzikert and at Dristra, probably defending the Emperor in both cases. I was expecting to learn more about their decisive role in a number of battles.

There are also a number of other issues, which are probably due to poor editing. In the chronology, I was most surprised to learn about "Norman" ships serving in the byzantine fleet in 967-968. Either this is a mistake or this was supposed to mean "Northmen" (that is, from Scandinavia, not from Normandy). Even more surprising is the mention of "Vandals" serving during a Byzantine expedition in Sicily in 1025. This is probably an oversight from the author since the Vandals had simply disappeared as a people after their kingdom had been destroyed and conquered by Belisarios almost five hundred years before. I was also surprised to learn about the battle of Kalouryta in 1077 - it seems to be the battle of Kalavrita, which took place in 1078 and, to my knowledge, no Varangians seem to have been present on either side. Also, it is simply impossible that Alexios Komnenos' army was 50000 strong at Dyrrachium. He probably did not have that many soldiers left in the whole of what remained of the Empire. John Haldon's estimate (20000 to 25000) is much more plausible. The number mentioned by D'Amato may nevertheless represent something like a grand total including both combatants and non-combatants (servants, camp followers etc...).

Three stars, but it would have been worth four without the very avoidable typos...

6 people found this helpful

James McGrory

Nice illustrations.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 15, 2019

Verified Purchase

The author gleefully parades his knowledge of Byzantine-Greek terminology, by filling the book with arcane titles/ranks/etc. Since the book is aimed at an English-speaking readership.....it would have been helpful of him to share the knowledge with us, by including a GLOSSARY!

Andrew Bailey

Decent Overview

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 25, 2015

Verified Purchase

Short and easy to read. I find Osprey books good for an introduction to a topic and as a springboard for further reading - of which The Varangian Guard is no exception, though if you were looking to use this more formally, such as with academic essay writing, I would be wary. The writing can be clunky at times, simply listing event after event in the history section and the impression I get (though this is just an impression) is that they are written by interested semi-professionals rather than top scholars in the field.

One person found this helpful

timmeh

Interesting and informative.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 21, 2013

Verified Purchase

Just what I wanted, it was a present for my stepfather's birthday. But I like to borrow it all the time....

One person found this helpful

Alf Sigmund Pedersen

A good introduction

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2013

Verified Purchase

It's a first introduction to llearn about the famous Varangian Guard. It gives you an idea of what The Varangian Guard once was!

One person found this helpful

See all reviews

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Get to Know Us

Make Money with Us

Amazon Payment Products

Let Us Help You

English United States

© 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates