Review by Choice Review
Harris (Royal Holloway, Univ. of London) modestly claims that his book is neither a survey of the surviving buildings of the city nor a chronological survey of Byzantine history; it is "a book about power and those who wielded it" beneath "a veil of grandeur and myth." The author ably succeeds in revealing the potent mystique of ceremony, wealth, and legend that enveloped the ruling class and the role of the diverse classes who supported it. But, despite his disclaimer, he deftly portrays key moments of Byzantine history and the physical space of the capital in a beautifully written study that is accessible yet rich in substance and source analysis. Focusing on the year 1200 as his main point of reference, Harris presents a vivid picture of the layout, buildings, economy, social makeup, and beliefs of this thriving capital city. He provides background on the earlier and later centuries as well, achieving, in the end, a readable, yet thought-provoking overview of over 1200 years. An excellent, pithy introduction to Byzantine history and culture, and a convincing analysis of the role of myth and pageantry in Byzantine ruling power. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduate level and above. N. Bisaha Vassar College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
By the fourth century of the Christian era, the western areas of the Roman Empire were increasingly impoverished and vulnerable to barbarian incursions across the Rhine/Danube frontier. So it made sense for Emperor Constantine to found a new administrative center in the more prosperous and secure east, on the site of the ancient Greek trading site of Byzantium. When he decided to build the city of Constantinople in 324, Constantine may not have viewed it as the new Rome ; he may not have intended it to be a Christian city (despite his toleration edict, he remained a technical pagan until his deathbed baptism). Nevertheless, this city at the crossroads of Europe and Asia soon became just that, and the city and the Byzantine Empire outlasted the crumbling empire in the west by a thousand years. Harris provides a compact, easily digestible history of the city up to the Ottoman conquest in 1453, viewing the city and the wider empire as a unique combination of deep spirituality and hardheaded, even savage, political and military endeavors.--Freeman, Jay Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
It is a tribute to Harris's skill as a writer that his book produces in the reader a sense of loss. Wisely, Harris does not attempt to give us an exhaustive history of Constantinople; instead he concentrates on the city as it was in 1200 C.E. The year is not a random choice. In 1204, a Crusader army sacked the city, triggering its descent into depopulation and ruin. But the city that the Crusaders despoiled was unsurpassed in its splendor. For centuries, Roman emperors and courtiers underwrote grand projects, constructing magnificently adorned buildings. Harris describes the physical highlights of the city, and from there launches brief expositions into politics, religion, and trade. The layout and decor of the Byzantine imperial palace, for example, leads to an exploration of dynastic politics; an examination of religious beliefs follows a description of the city's churches. Harris concludes with a brief overview of Constantinople's last years as the Byzantine capital up to its fall to an Ottoman Turkish army in 1453. A readable, informative, and vivid book, offering an evocative picture of the city in the context of the culture that produced it. Highly recommended.-Richard Fraser, Coll. of Physicians of Philadelphia (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
