This link has been bookmarked by 29 people . It was first bookmarked on 18 Dec 2006, by Adam Skinner.
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07 Sep 09
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07 May 09
Tony PayneEducation 2. The decentralized university. This series is by a non-historian with a passion for history.
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The History of The Byzantine Empire
by Lars Brownworth
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12 Mar 09
jamal ParksThis podcast can be given in place of reading for students they can just listen and might get a deeper understanding about the subjected.
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03 Jan 09
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07 Aug 08
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10 Jun 08
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23 May 08
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30 Apr 08
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19 Mar 08
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This history lecture podcast covers the little known Byzantine Empire through the study
of twelve of its greatest rulers. Mr. Lars Brownworth presents this series for free
through this website and the podcast section of the iTunes store.
Mr. Brownworth teaches History at The Stony Brook School on Long Island, New York.
His passion for Byzantine history has taken him on travels from the furthest reaches of
the Byzantine Empire right into Constantinople, (present day Istanbul) the very heart
of Byzantium. He has traveled and studied Byzantine history extensively and produced this
lecture series giving us this concise overview.
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29 Feb 08
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14 Feb 08
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26 Jan 08
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21 Dec 07
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28 Nov 07
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Unfortunately good books on Byzantine history are few and far between. There are several good general
histories: History of the Byzantine Empire Vol 1-2 by Alexander Vasiliev; History of the Byzantine State
by Georgije Ostrogorski; The massive A History of the Byzantine State and Society (tends to be a bit
dry, but very informative- focuses on economic issues); but by far my favorite- the most accessible, and
interesting account is John Julius Norwich's 3 volume Byzantium. Its also published as an abridged
single volume. The single volume is good, but the 3 volumes are definately worth it! You are more likely
to get a good book on certain periods of Byzantine history- For the 1st Crusade time period, for example,
check out Steven Runciman's History of the First Crusade - my favorite author. -
Gibbon's Decline and Fall has often been heralded as the "most significant history ever written in the
English language", and there is an elegance and scope to him that is immensely rewarding. It is also monumental -
the unabridged version is well over 3,000 pages - historians simply don't write on this scale any more. As a
scholar, Gibbon is above reproach. He wrote before there was a science of archaeology, and yet his careful
attention to detail and use of primary sources wherever available remain remarkably accurate.
For all his attentiveness, however, Gibbon was very much a child of the Enlightenment - and as such took a rather
dim view of religion. He viewed Christianity in particular as a dark, corrupting religion, the bitter enemy of
progress and free-thinking, and a major contributor to the fall of the Western Empire. This inevitably colored his
view of Byzantine history, and led him to dismiss the empire as a "degenerate race of princes" mired in constant
intrigue and corruption. This is not to say, however, that Gibbon is not a worthwhile source. Once you are aware
of this bias (it is most explicitly apparent in volume 2 and 3 which deal with the Byzantines), the work becomes
much more rewarding. As you read, keep in mind that his general position on Rome and Byzantium was that the empire
reached its peak during the reign of the Antonines, and then declined - a rather simplistic position that can be
seriously challenged in any number of areas. Other more modern works are better balanced - certainly Runciman or
Norwich are more accessible, but Gibbon remains a colossus. Vast, expensive, time consuming, and needing to be
carefully considered - but indisputably one of the worlds great works.
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31 Oct 07
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16 Sep 07
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23 Aug 07
Chris LottThe podcast that won its author/podcaster a nice book deal (via Christen)
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01 Aug 07
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12 Jul 07
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19 May 07
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11 Mar 07
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This history lecture podcast covers the little known Byzantine Empire through the study
of twelve of its greatest rulers. Mr. Lars Brownworth presents this series for free
through this website and the podcast section of the iTunes store.
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31 Jan 07
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30 Jan 07
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29 Dec 06
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18 Dec 06
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06 May 06
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