''A Short History of Byzantium'' (1997) is a history of the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

by historian John Julius Norwich. It is a condensed version of his earlier three-volume work on the same subject, published from 1988 to 1995 in 1200 pages, which is approximately one page per year of historical time covered. Norwich's thesis (as stated in the introduction) is that Byzantium left behind a rich legacy, both as a cultural powerhouse and as a bulwark protecting Western Europe against invaders like the Sasanian Empire and the

Arab Caliphate A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

. The history of the Empire is considered in its entirety, from the reign of

Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...

to the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 AD. Historical events like the

Fall of the Western Roman Empire The fall of the Western Roman Empire (also called the fall of the Roman Empire or the fall of Rome) was the loss of central political control in the Western Roman Empire, a process in which the Empire failed to enforce its rule, and its vas ...

Byzantine Iconoclasm The Byzantine Iconoclasm ( gr, Εικονομαχία, Eikonomachía, lit=image struggle', 'war on icons) were two periods in the history of the Byzantine Empire when the use of religious images or icons was opposed by religious and imperial a ...

, and the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...

are discussed. The various palace coups and court intrigues involving the emperors and their families are also covered. Lists of reigning emperors, sultans, and popes are provided in the appendixes. The condensed version was published by

Viking Press Viking Press (formally Viking Penguin, also listed as Viking Books) is an American publishing company owned by Penguin Random House. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim and then acquir ...

originally in London, then by

Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers in ...

in New York. The book was mentioned in episode 4, series 9 of the British television sitcom

Peep Show A peep show or peepshow is a presentation of a live sex show or pornographic film which is viewed through a viewing slot. Several historical media provided voyeuristic entertainment through hidden erotic imagery. Before the development of the c ...

, where protagonist Mark Corrigan asks historian Angus whether there is a "comprehensive history of the Byzantine church... for the general reader", to which Angus replies "No there isn't, unless you count John Julius Norwich's so-called ''History of Byzantium''."

References

External links

''A Short History of Byzantium''
As reviewed by Michael Anderson in ''The New York Times Book Review''

-As reviewed by Suzannah Rowntree in Vintage Novels 1997 non-fiction books 20th-century history books History books about the Byzantine Empire Books by John Julius Norwich Viking Press books Alfred A. Knopf books {{Byzantium-book-stub