Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization 1st Edition by Lars Brownworth (PDF)

Description

Filled with unforgettable stories of emperors, generals, and religious patriarchs, as well as fascinating glimpses into the life of the ordinary citizen, Lost to the West reveals how much we owe to the Byzantine Empire that was the equal of any in its achievements, appetites, and enduring legacy. For more than a millennium, Byzantium reigned as the glittering seat of Christian civilization. When Europe fell into the Dark Ages, Byzantium held fast against Muslim expansion, keeping Christianity alive. Streams of wealth flowed into Constantinople, making possible unprecedented wonders of art and architecture. And the emperors who ruled Byzantium enacted a saga of political intrigue and conquest as astonishing as anything in recorded history. Lost to the West is replete with stories of assassination, mass mutilation and execution, sexual scheming, ruthless grasping for power, and clashing armies that soaked battlefields with the blood of slain warriors numbering in the tens of thousands.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This book opens your eyes to the importance of the Eastern Roman Empire with regards to Western Civilization. It shows how it safeguarded it by keeping the culture and traditions of the Empire centuries after the fall of the Western part.It also allowed me to come to a realization on why “Byzantium” was barely covered in the history classes I (and most “Westerners”) received during school: the Catholic church/Papacy claims sole ownership of the Roman legacy, especially after the split between the Christian churches of Rome and Constantinople (the Christian version of the Muslim’s Shia and Sunni)Since in the end the West and Catholicism “won” and colonized a big part of the globe, (while Constantinople was conquered by the Muslims and became Istanbul) the Catholic church got to write history as it pleased. It’s the old adage that history is written by the winners. And one can’t really blame them, because if someone else had won, they would have written history their own way too.That being said, I’m glad I didn’t get to learn about the Eastern Roman Empire until now, because now I get to see a fascinating side of its history, one that lasted way beyond its “fall” in 476.

⭐This book isn’t just a great introduction to the Eastern Roman Empire, but a great book about it in general. Brownsworth opens up by stating that the Roman Empire actually fell with Constantinople in 1453 (a belief that I also share). He also follows then by correctly stating the term “Byzantine Empire” is indeed a name given retroactively.The book spans roughly a thousand years diving into the various figureheads, cultural changes, inter-religious beef, and crisis after crisis the Eastern Romans had to endure. He admits from the start that as an author, he’s taking a personality-driven approach with this book, which really makes for a good flow. In fact I couldn’t put it down. Sure one could argue he’s biased on behalf of a few emperors, but nothing is objective and their accomplishments speak for themselves.Great read that doesn’t claim to be some dry 1,000-page academic work, while at the same time not sacrificing its historical integrity. 5/5 stars.

⭐My interest in the Byzantine Empire was piqued by the 11th Century chronicles of Michael Psellus (see the review in a previous post), so I ordered this relatively short, recent history of the Empire’s history from the founding of Constantinople by the eponymous Illyrian badass and ardent Christian convert, Constantine the Great, to the fall of the city in 1453, her mighty walls shattered by enormous Ottoman cannon. This is a lot of material to cover and the author does so briskly while also being careful to be thorough and accurately sourced. The back jacket of the book states that Mr. Brownworth is a former high school history teacher, but he shows as much flair for writing popular, accessible history as many other, more highly accredited authors.Like all empires from Rome onward, there is a large focus in the book on the Byzantine emperors and their personalities, an unavoidable consequence of studying any autocracy where everything (at least supposedly) turns on the word of just one man. A parade of characters passes down through the long ages, some outstanding, many contemptible, and a great deal utterly mediocre. Brownsworth makes the interesting point that as long as an emperor was strong and knew how to organize the empire’s resources (with special emphasis on the broad, fertile Anatolian plain), the Byzantines flourished or, at least, held their own. This was a remarkable feat in light of the constant series of threats posed to the empire over centuries, beset from all sides, Persians, Slavs, Bulgars, Crusaders, Arabs, and worst of all and finally, the Ottoman Turks. It was only when the Byzantines were deprived of Anatolia by the Turks that the empire truly began to falter and at last fail.The author notes that while Western Europe was plunged into illiteracy and Frankish kings lived little better than peasants, learning and luxury still flourished in Constantinople and the empire’s other great cities. He points out that for centuries the Byzantine Empire acted as a buffer for Western Europe, a bulwark between the weak, disorganized feudal realms and the rampant forces of Islam. Much learning was gained by the West from the Byzantines, especially after the fall of Constantinople when many Greek scholars fled to Italy seeking patronage from the Pope among others. This history does a valuable service in filling in a large gap in the general picture of medieval European history.I think the most valuable thing to be gained from this book is a sense of the remarkable strength of the Byzantine polity. Located in the very cockpit of empire, prone to invasion by land and sea from all directions, attacked by powerful enemies almost from the beginning, and riven by dissension (religious and otherwise), treachery, and disloyalty, Constantinople and its empire still managed to somehow persist in a distinctly recognizable form for over a thousand years. And when the end came, the last emperor (also named Constantine) died fighting in the breached walls for his city and his people, a true medieval paladin.I recommend this book to fans of medieval history and to anyone interested in a good account of a very strange and alien, long passed civilization and culture whose echoes still loudly sound today.

⭐While it is accepted that no one volume can provide an in-depth examination of the Byzantine Empire’s 1000-year history, Lars Brownworth has done a sterling job in providing a highly readable account of one of the world’s great empires. As a general introduction to the subject, it is superlative. He has a great writing style to ensure the story never stalls, while at the same time imparting a wealth of information. Excellent.

⭐One of my favourite books. A comprehensive and interesting account of the byzantines from their Roman past to their end in the fall of Constantinople. We westerners truly owe our values and culture to the Byzantines.

⭐Best book I have ever read. Full of surprises and valuable insight into an area of the world that we neglect at our peril.

⭐The history you were never given at school … Lars re-animates the souls of all the Byzantine emperors brilliantly .

⭐Brownworth brings the history of Byzantium to life for the modern reader in a vivid and well-written style.

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