The Making of Byzantium 600-1025

About this book

Mark Whittow presents a clear up-to-date reassessment of the Byzantine empire during a crucial phase in the history of the Near East. Against a geopolitical background (superbly illustrated with fourteen maps) his book covers the last decade of the Roman empire as a superpower the catastrophic crisis of the seventh century and the means whereby the embattled Byzantine empire hung on in Constantinople and Asia Minor until the Abbasid Caliphates decline opened up new perspectives for Christian power in the Near East. A special feature is Whittows coverage of Byzantiums neighbors allies and enemies in Europe and Asia. He stresses the geographical context of events often overlooked in other accounts of this period. The origins of Russia relations with the nomad powers of the steppe world the competition between Bulgars Romans and Slavs in the Balkans and the frequently ignored region of the Transcaucasus are all given extended treatment. No such wide-ranging work has appeared in English for nearly 30 years and Whittows book will be invaluable for all scholars students and enthusiasts of medieval history.