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Lost to the West
- The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization
- Narrated by: Lars Brownworth
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
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Lost to the West
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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.
What the critics say
"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
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What listeners say about Lost to the West
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- D. Pratt
- 2022-04-16
Captivating and Informative
Like many history enthusiasts of western origin, my knowledge of the Byzantine Empire was severely lacking after the days of Justinian. This books tells the story of people, not just names and dates. That is the kind of history that makes me passionate about the subject; it’s not the story of what happened, but if who we are.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-11-22
Thoroughly enjoyable. Well written and well read.
Loved it. It held my interest from start to finish. I have already earmarked some other books by the same author.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Green
- 2021-02-09
History EVERYONE should know!
This story is the long forgotten narrative that history lovers need to hear! It features a dozen key Eastern Roman / Byzantine Emperors and how they impacted the world. Everything from the Justinian Code, Eastern Orthodox Church to dealing with the early bubonic plague and Varangian Guard (I mean, who doesn’t like Vikings!).
If you like narrative history you’ll probably enjoy this 1000 year story. Highly recommended!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Cody Dyck
- 2020-05-17
Great brief history
Was a great brief history and introduction into the eastern Roman empire and Byzantium. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Liam
- 2019-10-09
Excellent detail, the perspective of Byzantines
I didn't know that it was the Venetians who caused the fall of Constantinople! How could they do that? What an incredible and critical story for anyone who wants to understand history.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- tri_nav
- 2021-08-12
Vital Coverage of this Millennium+ Era
I listen to this repeatedly. It's comprehensive (but still as concise as one can get and still give an idea of the time period). I highly recommend this, if you love learning about how antiquity moved into the medieval period. It's not always easy going, but does recommend itself to subsequent listens.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Matt
- 2018-10-05
An astonishingly beautiful story
The story, and its narration, is wonderful. The debt we owe to this culture cannot be measured. Even the end, which is so tragic, is Arthurian in its majesty.
Unfortunately, I find myself hungry for more … and, as the author states, the history of Byzantium is under appreciated and largely unknown. I believe that it is true that without understanding Byzantium, we cannot understand ourselves. This history desperately needs to be in our educational system. It's the glue we've been missing.
Top marks, teacher!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 2019-11-15
***Trigger warning*** 1453 was a bad, bad year.
Why wasn't I warned how emotional the final chapter was going to be?
Great book, well read, fascinating story!
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