Books and resources about Byzantine History?

With the unceasing popularity of the Eastern Roman Empire on AH.com, I feel out of place for knowing so little about them.

Which book, documentary, website or other form of resources would you recommend to someone relatively new to Eastern Roman history?

Please list at least one item for "entry" level, and one for "advanced" level.
 
With the unceasing popularity of the Eastern Roman Empire on AH.com, I feel out of place for knowing so little about them.

Which book, documentary, website or other form of resources would you recommend to someone relatively new to Eastern Roman history?

Please list at least one item for "entry" level, and one for "advanced" level.

Anything by Sir Steven Runciman.
Advanced option: George Ostrogorsky, History of the Byzantine State.

Ostrogorsky was one of the foremost Byzantinists of the 20th century. There are quite a lot of thematic books out now too on army, society, economy, etc. I'll try to find the time to-morrow to make a list to post. Feel free to PM me to remind me.
 

phatmaus

Banned
Not strictly a history, but this book:
grand-strategy-of-the-byzantine-empire.jpg

really deepened my understanding of the reasons for the history.

Grand strategy of the Roman empire was also very good.
 
Second the references for Norwich and Runciman, both amazing writers.

As far as documentaries, here's one for you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWljhb1DEQ8

Byz documentories are not very informative and some terrible. Though the one you posted may be good. Aside from jacoby and the authors mentioned aboveheres also harris. By the way jacobys book is byzantium latin romania and the medditdranian while Jonathan harris writes about byzantium and its relations to crusades
 
Ostrogorky is good but a bit dated you should check out david jacoby. Though hiss works are mainly on the late byzantine economy


Oh yes, he's dated, but still one of the best. He gives an excellent appreciation of the sources amongst other things and a pretty exhaustive list of them at the beginning of his chapters.

There is also Vasilev (2 vols) yes that too is older, but a classic.
More recently Warren Treadgold, Mark Whittow.
 
More recently Warren Treadgold, Mark Whittow.

Yes to these.

Mark Whittow's book is excellent, although it has a bit of an agenda: Whittow's writing something of an attack on the policies of the Emperor Basil II, which builds up over four hundred years. I think, that said, the book is fantastic, even if I don't agree with all its conclusions. The stuff on Armenia and the various Qaghanates is great.

I'd also recommend Michael Angold's survey of the Empire from 1025 until 1204, and John Haldon's Byzantine Warfare, State and Society 565-1204.

Finally, as others have said, Norwich is a very good starting point for a basic overview: he's an engaging writer, although not an academic so prone to making mistakes here and there. To be fair, he doesn't claim to be one, so I think that this is somewhat forgiveable.
 
Talking primary sources, Procopius is always a good read - Secret History is the fun one, his 'Wars' volumes are a bit hagiographical for my taste - and while I've read Skylitzes, Attaleiates, Theophanus, etc. the only other one I would recommend for a beginner is Michael Psellos. I did a short TL rewriting his Chronographia back in December, and I just love his snobbery and general archness. When people use the word 'byzantine', what they really mean is 'Psellos-y'
 
Another primary source that I very much enjoy Anna Komnene's "The Alexiad," which is an interesting if biased account of her father Alexios's reign in the middle period of the empire (ca. 1100). It's also good for Byzantine perceptions of the early Crusades and the associated political and military implications.
 
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