Lost to the West

The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization

By: Lars Brownworth

Narrated by: Lars Brownworth

Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Filled with unforgettable stories of emperors, generals, and religious patriarchs, as well as fascinating glimpses into the life of the ordinary citizen, Lost to the West reveals how much we owe to the Byzantine Empire that was the equal of any in its achievements, appetites, and enduring legacy. For more than a millennium, Byzantium reigned as the glittering seat of Christian civilization.

When Europe fell into the Dark Ages, Byzantium held fast against Muslim expansion, keeping Christianity alive. Streams of wealth flowed into Constantinople, making possible unprecedented wonders of art and architecture. And the emperors who ruled Byzantium enacted a saga of political intrigue and conquest as astonishing as anything in recorded history. Lost to the West is replete with stories of assassination, mass mutilation and execution, sexual scheming, ruthless grasping for power, and clashing armies that soaked battlefields with the blood of slain warriors numbering in the tens of thousands.

©2009 Lars Brownworth (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

"Captivating…In Lost to the West Lars Brownworth shows a novelist’s eye for character, bringing to life some of the most fascinating — and yet little known -- figures of the Byzantine era. But it is as a researcher into the obscurities of palace intrigue, treachery, and battlefield carnage that Lars really shines. With dry humor and a palette of vivid images, he recounts the dizzying game of musical chairs that placed one usurper after another on the Byzantine throne, only to be pitched off in a gaudily macabre way. In the end, one is left agog by the irony that the upshot of this centuries-long scrum was the preservation of nearly all that the Greeks have bequeathed to us.”—Steven Pressfield, author of Gates of Fire

“Rome never fell -- it simply moved five hundred miles East -- to Byzantium. For over a thousand years the Byzantines commanded one of the most visceral and vivid empires the world has ever known. And yet their achievements are consistently underplayed; written out of history. Lars Brownworth is a rare talent. His contagious passion brings murderous empresses, conniving eunuchs, lost Greek texts and Byzantine treasures of fairy-tale proportions blinking back into the light. Confidently striding through time and across the mountains and plains of the Eastern Mediterranean, Brownworth puts this theocratic superstate slap-bang in the center of mankind's global story; back where it should be. The Byzantines made our world what it is today. Lars Brownworth matches their verve and brio in his seductive and gripping account.”—Bettany Hughes, PBS host and author of Helen of Troy

“This is history as it used to be, history as story-telling. In this fascinating account of the Byzantine empire, Lars Brownworth covers a thousand years of blood-letting, outrageous luxury, bitter religious disputes and vaulting ambition without giving the slightest impression of being rushed or crowded. The page turns unaided.”—Anthony Everitt, bestselling author of Augustus, Cicero and The First Emperor

The definitively readable history of the Byzantine Empire

Brownsworth tells a story that has never been told so satisfactory as here, the definitive saga of the Byzantines, from start to finish. Cannot recommend enough.

A shield Against the Islamization of Europe

There’s a fitting symmetry in the fact that Rome died as it began; a City-State. The Byzantines never called themselves that. They were Romans up to the last day in 1453. The last Emperor, Constantine XI died, presumably, like a common Roman soldier at the wall breached by the Turks.

Some have criticized this book as being an apology of sorts at the minimum and as western propaganda at worst. The author comes from a place of admiration for the Empire that is evident. Yet that does not take away from his criticism that it was the internal machinations of the Byzantine Court and aristocracy that weakened the empire from within.

The other big take away is the role Byzantium played in insulating the west from Islamic conquest. As hard as it may be to hear, Islam was at times spread by the sword. The Ottomans abducted Christian boys raising them as Janissaries to do the Sultan’s fighting. Countless thousands were sold into slavery. Conversion was often preceded by threats from the sword and if not threatened the jizya tax was placed on Christians, Jews and followers of other religions as an incentive to convert.

Nor does Brownsworth ignore Christian evil. He writes of the bloody massacre following the taking of Jerusalem by the First Crusade, the depredations victimizing both Eastern Christian’s and Moslems.

Overall this is a good beginning to a serious study of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Exciting stories of heroes, villains, and political intrigue.

Entertaining and informative. Only wish there were more dates/years given to show the passage of time between significant events. Would recommend.

Byzantium

An amazing story of an Empire that shielded the West from a thousands years. Enjoyed every moment of it. A must buy.

An enjoyable read

This book provides one of the best narratives of Byzantine history and is written in a way that is easy to follow while successfully keeping the reader engaged. The author does a superb job at reading his book.

Great overview of the Byzantine Empire

Couldn’t do better for an introduction to the history of Roman Byzantium. Really engaging narrator. Doesnt really talk a whole lot about the culture itself but does paint a decent picture of it— more of just a straight ahead history narrative. Really worth the listen for those with even some acquaintance with the Byzantine Empire.

Great brief history of Western Civilization

Great brief history of early Western Civilization and the long lasting Roman Empire in the East

Lost and in love with story

I just love this book
It talk about begging to end Byzantine empire

If you only want to get one book on the Byzantine and know 95% then I would get this book

Excellent basic history

I found it a good basic overview of the Eastern Empire. Brownworth illustrates some of the most important parts of the major emperors and their policies. Brownworth does an exceptional job of narrating. He keeps a good amount of emotion in his voice all throughout the book.

Well written pop history

Lost to the West is a good primer to Byzantium, but it is undercut by promoting outdated historical ideas. Such as that Europe underwent a dark age. Similarly, Lars too often interjects his own opinions on events or people, rather than letting the events speak for themselves, or attempting to find the truth from historical sources.

Still, it is a good read, just less scholarly than I would have liked.