Mango's views on Byzantine (or Eastern Roman, for the pedants) history and culture are presented clearly and forthrightly. He certainly isn't afraid to conceal his own opinions (and his occasional asides comparing the stultified Byzantine state with the declining Soviet Union of the 1980s stop being funny after the first few) but the writing is clear, the ideas interesting, and the book well laid-out. Those looking for a chronological history of the Byzantine Empire should look elsewhere; the book is organised in three sections devoted to the physical and political environment of the Byzantines, their conceptual world and their artistic legacy. All in all, a very good introduction to the subject ( )

This is yet another book on Byzantium with which I've been unimpressed, to say the least. Mango's work suffers from many problems, not the least of which are dry didactic style, his over-reliance on sources that amount essentially to the Byzantine version of tabloids, and what seems to be his own deep-seated hatred of the very subject matter he's supposed to an expert in! The only redeeming features of the book were the last two chapters, on Byzantine literature, art, and architecture. Even Mango's didactic style and only partially concealed jabs at the Byzantines couldn't ruin these, as he does a wonderful job of summarizing nearly a thousand years and as many miles worth of Byzantine culture. If you see this book in your local bookstore, get yourself a coffee and read these last two chapters. Then put the book back and leave. ( )

This was my first foray into Byzantine history, and I found Mango's book quite heavy-going. It assumes that the reader will already have some familiarity with Byzantine society and, for this reason, is perhaps not the best introduction for a novice.

That said, what I did understand intrigued me, and Mango's discussion has inspired me to learn more about Byzantine culture: fascinating stuff. ( )

An overview of Byzantine history, politics, and culture.