The end of Byzantium / Jonathan Harris.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Harris, Jonathan.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Byzantine Empire--History--Manuel II Palaeologus, 1391-1425.

Byzantine Empire.

Byzantine Empire--History--John VIII Palaeologus, 1425-1448.

Byzantine Empire--History--Constantine XI Dragases, 1448-1453.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxii, 298 pages) : genealogical table, maps

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Haven [Conn.] : Yale University Press, 2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

By 1400, the once-mighty Byzantine Empire stood on the verge of destruction. Most of its territories had been lost to the Ottoman Turks, and Constantinople was under close blockade. Against all odds, Byzantium lingered on for another fifty years until 1453, when the Ottomans dramatically toppled the capital's walls. During this bleak and uncertain time, ordinary Byzantines faced difficult decisions to protect their livelihoods and families against the death throes of their homeland. In this evocative and moving book, Jonathan Harris explores individual stories of diplomatic maneuverings, covert defiance, and sheer luck against a backdrop of major historical currents and offers a new perspective on the real reasons behind the fall of this extraordinarily fascinating empire.

Contents:

Autumn in Constantinople

The shadow empire

Playing politics

To the brink

Twisting the lion's tail

A Council and a Crusade

From Murad to Mehmed

Nemesis

On the quayside

East or West?.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 279-287) and index.

ISBN:

0-300-16966-3

OCLC:

952756447