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Byzantium and the Crusades

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Byzantium and the Crusades

By: Jonathan Harris
Narrated by: John Sackville
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Bloomsbury presents Byzantium and the Crusades by Jonathan Harris, read by John Sackville.

Jonathan Harris’s classic text chronologically surveys Byzantine history in the time of the Crusades. The book reveals the attitudes of the Byzantine ruling elites towards the Crusades and their ultimate inability to adapt to the challenges this presented. Using evidence amassed in a wealth of primary sources, Harris successfully makes the point that Byzantine interactions with Western Europe, the Crusades and the crusader states is best understood in the nature of the Byzantine Empire and the ideology which underpinned it, rather than in any generalised hostility between the peoples.

This new edition comes with two significant additions to the text:

* Appendix I sees the inclusion of seven critical Latin primary sources taken from across three centuries. Translated by the author, these sources are then discussed in detail, providing multiple first-hand perspectives on the subject in the process

* Appendix II provides assessments of various representations of the subject in key fiction and non-fiction works, thereby enriching your appreciation of the way that Byzantine interaction with the Crusades has been constructed at different times, from various standpoints and in other languages

This book remains the keystone to understanding the East-West relationship during the Crusades and what this meant for the Byzantine Empire. Europe Military Middle Ages Crusade Western Europe Imperialism
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Critic reviews

Jonathan Harris continues to offer new insights in this, the third edition of a well-established classic. No student of the crusades or of relations between Byzantium and the West can afford to overlook this important study.
Byzantium and the Crusades is a compelling work regarding Byzantine interaction with the West, not as only a clash of cultures or as only series of plots, but as events also shaped by Byzantine ideology and foreign policy… I cannot recommend this book enough.
Harris’ book offers a lucid, precise, and persuasively argued account of a pivotal era in the history of both Byzantium and the Crusades, and it will remain an indispensable reference for scholars and students for years to come.
All stars
Most relevant
A well researched book with cohesive arguments but the author is obsessed with the word ‘Byzantine’ to the point where he seemingly paraphrases quotes to remove the word ‘Roman’ and then feels the need to add ‘I.e’ Byzantine at one point when quoting a letter from one emperor to another. At a time where the phrase is increasingly set aside for the more accurate ‘Roman’, this is disappointing.

A mixed bag

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