Against the Fall of Night

by Michael Arnold

No city of the Middle Ages shone more brilliantly than Constantinople, capitol of the Byzantine Empire and crossroads between Russia and the Orient and all northern and western Europe. Here at last the tragic history of that forgotten emperor is chronicled in a novel as vast and varied as the city.

699 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads' database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Aka Michel Arnold and Michael P. Arnold

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not an easy read. It opens with the sacking of Constaninople in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade, then goes back to follow the stories of three Emperors -- John II, Manuel I and Andronikus who is arguably the main focus of the book although his reign only lasted two years and takes up the last 150 pages or so (out of 700). It's not written as a novel, precisely -- it's presented as if documented by a contemporary historian, Nicetas Acominatus. (All Latinizations of names are as found in the book.) As such, parts of it are descriptions of historical events written by Nicetas with occasional first-person interjections, parts are transcripts of other principals' tellings of events (making it hard sometimes to keep track of exactly whose point of view we're being given), and parts of it are written almost in the form of a stage-play -- a brief setting of scene, then dialogue between two major characters. Arnold also makes no concessions to most readers' (well, my, at least) presumed unfamiliarity with the persons and places of his account -- names and titles and cities and provinces flow past with little or no explanation; if you can't infer from context what "Sebastocrator" means, you're out of luck.

Having said that, it's a compelling and strangely intimate look at the Byzantine court and its intrigues, ending with the brief reign of Andronikus whose attempts at reform were noble, mistimed and ham-handed.

Difficult but rewarding.

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my very favorite books. I've read it three times and will likely read it again.

Further details at my web site:

http://www.howardandrewjones.com/revi...

[DoctorM · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rarity--- a well-done historical novel about the Fourth Crusade and the sack of Byzantium. Well-researched, well-written. Worth finding.