I'd like info on Medieval Croatia.

[Zioneer]

John Julius Norwich wrote good, informative books on both the Italo-Normans and Venice. His "A History of Venice" is a superb book for the layperson. The latter is probably available in a well stocked public library and often inhabits used book stores.

Sadly, I checked my county library system, and it doesn't look like A History of Venice is in the system. I'll have to check a used book store though, that might help. Regarding Norwich, it looks like my system has a book on the Papacy, a general book on the Mediterranean, a book on Shakespeare's plays and the English Kings, "The Decline and Fall of Byzantium", a book on architecture, and a book on love in the Middle Ages.

Hmmm.

3 candidates come to mind:
i) A Hungarian Empire (+/- Apulia/Sicily or bits thereof)
ii) A Slav/Serbian Empire (perhaps where Hungary doesn't exist or has collapsed so that Croatia, Dalmatia, etc are up for grabs)
iii) An Apulian/Sicilian Empire with lands across the Adriatic

I have an idea for the 3rd where Manfred gets Sicily and divides his possessions among his sons - his last son Enzio would likely be Prince of Taranto and King of Albania. Get him married off to a Hungarian princess and ramp up the Hungarian Succession crisis et voila.

Yeah, it looks like the Hungarians are a good candidate for an Empire; though again, I don't want to deal with the problem of coming up with Hungarian phrases for "imperial" things.

I also have some wonky specifications for the time period of my hypothetical TL's PoD; I don't want it too early, as there's not enough records for me to use, but I don't want it too late, as OTL events I want to meddle with have already passed and historical figures I want to use have already lived and died. Here; I'll show you a list of historical figures and dynasties I want (but don't have to) use to give a basic idea of the time period that I need.

1. The Zirids (doesn't have to be them, but I like their dynasty name, so... ).

2. The Kwarazmian dynasty (I want them to survive the Mongols).

3. At least a part of the family of Antipope Anacletus II (it doesn't have to be him).

4. The Drengot dynasty (though only if I use the Normans).

5. One or more members of the D'Hautville clan or another major Norman family (see the Drengots)

6. Possibly the Arpads.

7. Possibly the Seljuks as well.

8. The Venetians will definitely feature as well; I may use them as the main "characters".

 

[Zioneer]

Any thoughts on a useable PoD for my intended historical figures/dynasties, and for my "imperial" plans for a nation (might end up being Norman Sicily, now that I think about it)?

 

[Herzen's love-child]

Any thoughts on a useable PoD for my intended historical figures/dynasties, and for my "imperial" plans for a nation (might end up being Norman Sicily, now that I think about it)?

Norman Sicily had a good run OTL except towards the end. Then it segued into the remarkable Hohenstaufen reign which built on a lot of what the Normans had established. I think that a number of members on this site could help with a POD. Try to get Elfwine's attention. Except, like most Byzantophiles, he takes a dim view of Venice. I'm too wiped to think of a specific one right now and I still have a party to go to, tonight. Tomorrow, maybe.

By the way, your library system has "Inter-Library" loans, no? Theoretically one can get a book from a library across the country. Only drawback is waiting the several weeks for a book to show up. You gotta get this:
http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Normans_in_Sicily.html?id=EyR0QgAACAAJ