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

Dr Brian Christine

Outstanding! Highly recommended. The author's performance was spot-on, and the content of the book great.

Excellent history, superb narration, buy it!

This is a truly a great book. Lars Brownworth does a superb job with his narration. He is not pedantic nor conceited, although he has every right to be lol. Lars provides excellent historical background and does not get stuck in one period (as do some other authors). He does provide amazing detail to many stories that illuminate the character of the great historical figures in the context of the day and age. The book really does bring history to life. I intend to purchase a written copy, but this is better in some ways. I can listen while performing mundane tasks (washing the dishes, for example) or listen while resting on the couch or in bed. I can't imagine how much work it took to write this, but I thank the author and Audible for providing it.

Byzantium: Greatest Hits

From the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the fall of Constantinople, almost 1000 years passed. This book is only 10 hours long. It should be obvious to anyone before getting into this book that depth is not going to be one of its strengths.

With that out of the way, this is an absolutely terrific starting point for someone who has an interest in later Roman history but who doesn't know much yet. This books jumps from one significant ruler to the next, telling the reader who they were, how they got there, and the impact they had.

The one weakness I think this book has is that the way it skips decades ahead periodically makes time hard to keep track of time. Events covered in the book are made to feel closer together than they were, which can be confusing.

What this book chooses to cover, it does a great job of covering.

Excellent primer and salient thesis

This serves as an excellent primer for anyone, such as myself, who is not wholly dedicated to the study of Byzantine history. It is an informative timeline with interesting narratives. For those with a more in depth knowledge of the history, this might not be the book to deepen your knowledge, although there are some intriguing insights. Clearly, we are still living this history, and Brownsworth does an excellent job of keeping it alive.

I enjoyed the narrator’s reading. It is well-done.

Excellent historyof the Byzantine Empire!

I absolutely loved this book!

The narration is perfect! I was actually a tad disappointed that the author didn't narrate his other books. He's very easy to listen to.

The writing is excellent. It's a fascinating history.

I listened to many chapters twice - there's a lot of information. I actually ended up purchasing the physical book as well simply to help me with the names - there's a lot of unfamiliar names and it's easy to mix them up without having something to look at (unavoidable with an audiobook).

Byzantine Brilliance

This book is great to see Byzantine history at a glance along with some great specific moments. Lars Brownworth is a great storyteller in his writing and clear narration on this audiobook.

Just a delight for anyone interested in history !

I am a very bright, over educated person who has nonetheless never understood the relationship between the Roman and Byzantine Empires. Recently I went to Italy and saw the Byzantine mosaics at Ravenna. That did it -- I HAD to understand how the Christian world (which was dazzlingly on display in those mosaics) had extended to Constantinople, and how on earth the so-called Byzantine style in art had arrived in Italy. This book has all the answers, and best of all is narrated with terrific panache by the author. He is a great storyteller as well as an excellent narrator, and I found the entire book mesmerizing, which is a feat given that it is also so informative. In fact, this book was so wonderful that now I have begun listening to a book about what was happening in the same thousand year period in the lands to the south and east of the Roman/Byzantine Empires, and next on my wish list would be a book focusing on the same period in Western Europe (for example Charlemagne). This book and this author have really whetted my appetite for history and even geography. I can't recommend it too highly !! Ten out of ten !!

Brilliant History

History is one of those things that an Audible Book really makes come alive. This book is one of the best. The author and narrator has a great grasp of the historical sequence of events and presents them in a way that is both fascinating and entertaining.

In high school, I hated history with its emphasis on dates and events. If only history texts were written like this. The individuals come alive and their actions are both fascinating and horrifying. The book is especially strong when it comes to presenting the political realities of the time and explaining how they propelled events forward.

After listening to this book, I have a much greater understanding of how we got here and why the world is the way it is. It is also, in a larger sense, a cautionary tale. Our leaders are as misguided now as the rulers were back then (with the exception of the frequent murder of competing family members).

Every book we listen to is an investment of time. This one gives a lot back. Well worth every minute.

4 1/2 Stars - Making History Fun

I waited for this book, just like the podcasts that earned Brownworth his publishing deal, with anxious anticipation. The historical research isn't always perfect but it's solid and he succeeds in making the history of the too often ignored Byzantine empire fun and accessible. For the reviewer who complained about the author reading his book; it all started with his voice so get over it.

great read

this was a very enlightening book regarding the Byzantine Empire well written and well narrated