The end of Byzantium / Jonathan Harris.

Author/creator Harris, Jonathan
Format Book
Publication InfoNew Haven [Conn.] : Yale University Press, ©2010.
Descriptionxxii, 298 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, 3 maps ; 24 cm
Subjects

Contents Autumn in Constantinople -- The shadow empire -- Playing politics -- To the brink -- Twisting the lion's tail -- A Council and a Crusade -- From Murad to Mehmed -- Nemesis -- On the quayside -- East or West?
Abstract By 1400, the once-mighty Byzantine Empire stood on the verge of destruction. Most of its territories had been lost to the Ottoman Turks, and Constantinople was under close blockade. Against all odds, Byzantium lingered on for another fifty years until 1453, when the Ottomans dramatically toppled the capital's walls. During this bleak and uncertain time, ordinary Byzantines faced difficult decisions to protect their livelihoods and families against the death throes of their homeland. --
Abstract In this evocative and moving book, Jonathan Harris explores individual stories of diplomatic manoeuvres, covert defiance, and sheer luck against a backdrop of major historical currents, and he traces Byzantium's legacy through those emigrants and refugees who reached and influenced Italy, Russia, and beyond. Weaving together letters, chronicles, travellers' accounts, and other little-known archival documents, Harris dispels the myth of constant warfare between Islam and Christianity in the Middle Ages and offers a new perspective on the real reasons behind the fall of this fascinating cmpire. --Book Jacket.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (p. 279-287) and index.
LCCN 2010015322
ISBN9780300117868 (cl : alk. paper)
ISBN0300117868 (cl : alk. paper)
ISBN9780300187915 (pbk)
ISBN0300187912 (pbk)

Availability

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Joyner General Stacks DF639 .H37 2010 ✔ Available Place Hold