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12 Byzantine Rulers
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About the author
Lars Brownworth
20 books206 followersLars Brownworth is an author, speaker and broadcaster based in Maryland, USA.
Mr. Brownworth created the genre-defining 12 Byzantine Rulers podcast, which prompted the New York Times to liken him to some of history's great popularizers. His recent book titled Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization, is available in bookstores and online. He answers questions on his Finding History blog, speaks at conferences and is currently working on a new podcast that brings to life the reign of the Normans.
Mr. Brownworth created the genre-defining 12 Byzantine Rulers podcast, which prompted the New York Times to liken him to some of history's great popularizers. His recent book titled Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization, is available in bookstores and online. He answers questions on his Finding History blog, speaks at conferences and is currently working on a new podcast that brings to life the reign of the Normans.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 24, 2017
Part of me wanted to give this work five enthusiastic stars. Brownworth's love of his subject is infectious. I wish more people would embrace the practice of narrative history as storytelling as he has done. He has a pretty balanced view of history that avoids the nonsense notion of impersonal forces inexorably advancing but does not fall into the opposite error of seeing everything depend on the "great man." He conveys the contingency of history, the great "what if" that makes it so fascinating, without indulging himself in fanciful counter-factual scenarios.
As to the content, Brownworth seems to be heavily dependent on Norwich and Runciman which lends a certain anti-Western and anti-Catholic flavor to his telling. This could have been corrected by a broader use of modern historiography. The other serious handicap in telling the story of Byzantium is that he seems uninterested (certainly unversed) in the theology that was so central to the people that he writes about. This sometimes leads him into easily avoided errors. More often it merely causes him to miss the threads that would have tied his story together and made more sense of it.
I fear I've spent too much space on the defects here so let me say that it would be a great mistake to pass this by due to what I've said above. With all its faults, this is really well done. I enjoyed it both times that I went through it. I envy the discipline it must have taken to carefully select what to put in and what to leave out to keep the story coherent and the length manageable. This is actually a great place to begin if you feel like it's time to end your ignorance of this important part of our history. I just hope you'll feel inspired to read more and end up with a fuller, more balanced view in the end.
As to the content, Brownworth seems to be heavily dependent on Norwich and Runciman which lends a certain anti-Western and anti-Catholic flavor to his telling. This could have been corrected by a broader use of modern historiography. The other serious handicap in telling the story of Byzantium is that he seems uninterested (certainly unversed) in the theology that was so central to the people that he writes about. This sometimes leads him into easily avoided errors. More often it merely causes him to miss the threads that would have tied his story together and made more sense of it.
I fear I've spent too much space on the defects here so let me say that it would be a great mistake to pass this by due to what I've said above. With all its faults, this is really well done. I enjoyed it both times that I went through it. I envy the discipline it must have taken to carefully select what to put in and what to leave out to keep the story coherent and the length manageable. This is actually a great place to begin if you feel like it's time to end your ignorance of this important part of our history. I just hope you'll feel inspired to read more and end up with a fuller, more balanced view in the end.
June 8, 2015
Excellent Podcast.
June 16, 2016
I don't even remember when I listened to this, but I kind of loved it and it got me totally hooked on Byzantine history for like three years afterward.
February 11, 2019
Quite patchy and way too brief, hence not very precise, not deep enough and kind of bias here and there and yet interesting overview of the Byzantine empire.
January 24, 2016
While Mr Brownworth is correct in his statement that (Eastern) Roman history gets little broadcast these days and that our educational system undervalues it, I feel that he continues in the same vein.
To begin with, he seems overly impressed by military action -- which can be considered to have been the primary method of survival for the original Roman Empire, but the eastern half was vastly different in how it organised its day to day life. Manzikert and the other defeats, though serious, were not catastrophic for the immediate loss of territory, but rather the indirect loss of manpower with which the Emperors could threaten the neighbours to maintain peace. Similarly, the loss of gold from imperial coffers in tributes and bribes -- a practice that the author laments -- is not necessarily detrimental to imperial success.
Roman diplomacy, as conducted by the Greco-Roman population of the empire and its emperors, was never about overt military might. It can even be said that the overall destruction of an enemy of the empire, as perhaps best evidenced by Ctesiphon and the Sassanids, could cause more destruction to the state than negotiating and equal peace with them. Examples of such conduct are more than prevalent throughout the entire history of the realm and should be considered more thoroughly.
Nevertheless, I would consider this suitable as a first introduction into Eastern Roman history which would hopefully stir further interest upon which more thorough reading can be conducted.
To begin with, he seems overly impressed by military action -- which can be considered to have been the primary method of survival for the original Roman Empire, but the eastern half was vastly different in how it organised its day to day life. Manzikert and the other defeats, though serious, were not catastrophic for the immediate loss of territory, but rather the indirect loss of manpower with which the Emperors could threaten the neighbours to maintain peace. Similarly, the loss of gold from imperial coffers in tributes and bribes -- a practice that the author laments -- is not necessarily detrimental to imperial success.
Roman diplomacy, as conducted by the Greco-Roman population of the empire and its emperors, was never about overt military might. It can even be said that the overall destruction of an enemy of the empire, as perhaps best evidenced by Ctesiphon and the Sassanids, could cause more destruction to the state than negotiating and equal peace with them. Examples of such conduct are more than prevalent throughout the entire history of the realm and should be considered more thoroughly.
Nevertheless, I would consider this suitable as a first introduction into Eastern Roman history which would hopefully stir further interest upon which more thorough reading can be conducted.
March 16, 2014
This is a book that I really enjoyed. Though I listened to the audio novel, I found it to be a very informative and interesting narrative.
It covered with a decent degree of detail some of the more prevalent leaders of the Eastern Empire, leaders who are over looked in generic history for the more classically favoured rulers of the West.
I find Eastern Roman history to be of great interest but like many no doubt find it frustrating that as important as this region and period was to our collective histories and cultures it continues to this day to be 'Lost to the West'.
My only real criticism of this book was that it left me wanting for more. That is up to me however to consume more on this interesting and rich subject.
82 %
It covered with a decent degree of detail some of the more prevalent leaders of the Eastern Empire, leaders who are over looked in generic history for the more classically favoured rulers of the West.
I find Eastern Roman history to be of great interest but like many no doubt find it frustrating that as important as this region and period was to our collective histories and cultures it continues to this day to be 'Lost to the West'.
My only real criticism of this book was that it left me wanting for more. That is up to me however to consume more on this interesting and rich subject.
82 %
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews