Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization, (Paperback)

from TrishNYC

Like most people, I have heard about the Byzantium empire. But I never really knew much about it and this book provided a very nice introduction to this period. The author skillfully takes us from Diocletian's third century reign to to the fall of Constantinople as it was overrun by the Turks in ...

from vbraga

I enjoyed this book. The large number of names and dynasties are sometimes difficult to follow due to the quick succession of rulers but the dynasty guide in the back is quite helpful. I must say I've learned quite a bit while reading.

from BrianFannin

There are a number of reviews critical of inaccuracies or the amateur character of the book. These criticisms are just. Mr. Brownworth is not an academic, nor does he always get his facts right. If that undermined any thesis of the book, or intruded on his prose it would bother me. However, this ...

from MarmotandWombat

Lost to the West has a promising premise - shining a light on the Byzantine Empire, a topic not extensively discussed in the West in general. However, the book can be more considered as a fast and general overview rather than a work of academic value. It isn't that Brownworth writes poorly (the b...

from davidpwithun

I was very, very disappointed with this book. I had a lot of very high expectations before I began reading and the book fell short of those in every possible way. Rather than the engaging read I was expecting, I instead got a rather boring rote recitation of dates, names, and places. The author a...