Heraclius, Emperor of Byzantium
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.39 (959 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0521036984 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 372 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-09-04 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Great resource - if one has a little patience Readers with a special interest in seventh-century Byzantium will find that Kaegi has saved them much work. By extracting and synthesizing the best from the assortment of contemporary and later works on this period, the author has provided a comprehensive as well as deeply probing historical analysis. Even better, his frequent footnotes and ample bibliography point the reader to a variety of primary and secondary sources. Kaegi's work is therefore a springboard toward understanding this complex, tumultuous, and ultimately tragic era in Byzantine history.Of course,. Difficult Book Worth Sifting Through First off this is the best book out there on Heraclius. Second, that's a very sad thing. I don't know what's wrong with Walter Kaegi because he's a brilliant historian but he cannot write for squat. This book is probably the most disorganized and disjointed book I've ever read. That bits of brilliance still peek through is a testament to the depths of his scholarship but would a little editing really have hurt? It's over 300 pages long so it's not like it was done so quickly it didn't have time to be reviewed before publication. The number of times that this book . Heraclius - Hero of Byzantium Lawrence Tritle Heraclius saved the Byzantine Empire from sure destruction at the hands of the Persians, only to be confronted by the onslaught of Islam in the early seventh century. Piecing together Heraclius' life and remarkable achivement from fragmentary sources is no easy task, but Walter Kaegi has succeeded in creating an account of Heraclius that will long remain the oft cited standard. Critics will find details to quibble about, but what book is beyond criticism? In fact, Kaegi demonstrates the art of the careful and critical historian, sifting through pieces of evidence
This book evaluates the life and empire of the pivotal yet controversial Byzantine emperor Heraclius (ad. Yet, they proved to be of little value when he confronted early Islamic conquests.. His stormy war-torn reign is critical for understanding the background to fundamental changes in the Balkans and the Middle East, including the emergence of Islam. 610-641), a contemporary of the Prophet Muhammad. Heraclius' skills enabled him to capture and recapture important territory, including Jerusalem, Syria and Egypt
. Walter E. Kaegi is Professor of History, The University of Chicago. He is the author of many books, including Byzantium and the Decline of Rome (1968), Byzantine Military Unrest 471-843 (1981), Army, Society and Religion in Byzantium (1982), Some Thoughts on Byzantine Military Strategy (1983), and Byzantium and the Early Islamic Co
Kaegi's work breaks considerable new ground by refuting many old, generally superficial views of Heraclius, while putting his considerable achievements firmly into the political, social, cultural, and military frame-work of his times." New York Military Affairs Symposium Review"A meticulous narrative." Bryn Mawr Classical Review"Kaegi's expertise in the analysis of military campaigns shines through on numerous occasions, well supported by good maps, plans and photographs." The Medieval Review"a bold endeavorit will require a heroic scholarly effort to produce a better account." American Historical Review"Kaegi has certainly achieved his goal of superseding Andrewas Strato's narrative of the reign." - Speculum Mark Whittow, St. "a good, solid work on a much studied, and much misunderstood, period in Byzantine history, and should find its way immediately onto graduate