Lost to the West

Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization
by Lars Brownworth

Brownworth tells the story of the forgotten Byzantine Empire, and its surprising role in shaping Western civilization. Although Rome fell in 476 AD, The Romans in the eastern half of the empire flourished for another 1000 years. Brownworth describes how the empire sheltered the west from Islam and the lessons it holds for modern societies. An entertaining story of emperors, generals and religious patriarchs both good and bad.

A very readable account of what we call the Byzantine Empire (they would have called themselves Romans). The story is filled with intermittent misrule, brutality and treachery, as well as military genius and political acumen. Brownworth has a podcast called 12 Byzantine rulers and a website www.losttothewest.com.

TB

Et tu, Brute?

A Noise of War : Caesar, Pompey, Octavian and the Struggle for Rome
by A. J., Langguth


A very exciting narrative, especially if you like political maneuvering or wonder about how Caesar did it. Langguth was at one time the Saigon bureau chief for the New York Times.You will see the parallels between the United States and Republican Rome. Booklist say's it all.

Langguth's narrative of the fall of the Roman republic begins in 81 B.C. with the confrontation of Julius Caesar and the dictator Sulla and the emergence of Marcus Tullius Cicero. Langguth then proceeds, through a series of progressively graver crises and progressively closer approaches to one-man rule, to the emergence of Caesar as supreme power. The intrigues and wars that followed constitute hardly more than an epilogue, for the republic was dead. Caesar and Cicero are the focal figures in Langguth's version of that story, but a host of other memorable actors are vividly portrayed. Langguth's concern throughout is readability, and this he certainly achieves.

TB