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The Germanic Invasions of the fifth century brought about the collapse of the Roman Empire.  This book will change the way we think about those Dark Ages, looking at the Barbarians themselves rather than just their impact on the Roman empire.

• Has an unpretentious and engaging reading style and a thoroughly useful "Aftermath" chapter to conclude and wrap-up
• Contains information on the Celts, Slavs and Asiatics, as well as the more commonly written about Germanic barbarians
• The first up-to-date book in years

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Discusses the historical trends, everyday life, social aspects, living conditions, culture, and politics of the Middle Ages. ... Read more

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Join Time-Life Books, Great Ages of Man Series, on a wonderful photographic journey to Barbarian Europe with engaging text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Dull
This is a dull and boring look at europe's history from the fall of the Roman empire to the Viking days up to the medieval period. I wouldn't recommend it.

Great Reading
A very concise, informative, presentation of this much misunderstood period of history.Events and leaders come to life in this well written, information packed, very readable book written by an obvious scholar of the times. ... Read more

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Surveys the Germanic barbarian tribes that proliferated in Europe at the end of the Roman Empire and describes how their social life and customs formed the basis for early medieval civilization. ... Read more

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During the fifth and sixth centuries A.D. there arose on the Euphrates frontier, between the empires of Rome and Iran, a city girded with glittering gypsum walls. Within these walls stood a great church, a shrine for the relics of Saint Sergius, who was martyred there, at Rusafa, in the early fourth century. Around Rusafa stretched the "Barbarian Plain," inhabited by Rome's Arab allies, many of whom revered the saint. Elizabeth Key Fowden examines the rise of the cult of Sergius in late antiquity, drawing on literary accounts, inscriptions, archaeology, images, and the landscape itself to construct a many-faceted picture of the role of religion in this frontier society. Focusing on the socio-cultural as well as the political dimensions of the Sergius cult, her study sheds light on the lives of the ordinary faithful, as well as on religion's place in the strategic calculations of hostile empires.Beginning with a detailed analysis of the surviving accounts of the martyrdom of Sergius, Fowden provides a discussion of Syrian Rusafa-Sergiopolis, traces the spread of the Sergius cult in Syria and Mesopotamia, and provides a provocative interpretation of the relation between the saint's presence at Rusafa and his role in frontier defense. She also discusses Arab Christianity in the context of late Roman culture in the East, as well as the continuation of the Sergius tradition after the Muslim conquest, emphasizing the changes and continuities brought by the rise of Islam. ... Read more

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Incest, polygamy, murder, sacrilege, impalement, castration, female power, and despotism are some of the images used by Athenian tragedians to define the non-Greek, "barbarian" world.This book explains for the first time the reasons behind their singular fascination with barbarians.Edith Hall sets the Greek plays against the historical background of the Panhellenic wars, and the establishment of an Athenian empire based on democracy and slavery.Analyzed within the context of contemporary anthropology and political philosophy, Hall reveals how the poets conceptualized the barbarian as the negative embodiment of Athenian civic ideals.She compares the treatment of foreigners in Homer and in tragedy, showing that the new dimension which the idea of the barbarian had brought to the tragic theater radically affected the poets' interpretation of myth and their evocation of the distant past, as well as enriching their reportoire of aural and visual effects. Hall argues that the invented barbarian of the tragic stage was a powerful cultural expression of Greek xenophobia and chauvinism that, paradoxically, produced and outburst of creative energy and literary innovation. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (17)

Brilliant in basics yet errors greatly in advanced statements of Volume II
Warefare in Antiquity Volume I: Five stars.
A brilliant reworking of the figures for military sizes in antiquity. He looks at persons per square mile and the idea that less than 12% of any population is really suitable for old world military service being male and young. Also sites that the multi 100,000 armies claimed in antiquity could not have passed the roads and been fed. These are his great contributions to war history. The writing and thus the reading is hindered by a wandering wordy somewhat disorganized style.This is slow going reading as you work through Dulbruck's apologetics toward other writers.

In the translation of Volume 1 Dulbruck's refuting of others that attack his writing are included. You can see why he illicits arguments since he attacks with sideways statements that he can reinterpret later and he infers ideas without exactly saying them so he can deny it later. What a politician! I would hate to get into an argument with this whirl wind writer! Yet he might have done this to protect himself as he lived in the war torn European environment.

The Barbarian Invasions Volume II: Two stars.
Here he goes beyond debunking the old historical fable like writings on war and gets into an abbreviated discussion of politics, morals (which he denies affected Roman fall that much), taxes, government, and to a lessor degree the military. Some how his logic flakes out but he writes it in a way that if you argue with it he can argue back on and on. This illustrates that his complainer personality has run its course and finished its work on Volumn 1.

Said another way, Volume II seems to be Dulbruck's personal political beliefs worked out in his historical descriptions NOT the old Volume I Dulbruck who just used plain facts verses the overblown historical statements of others.

Example: See pages 231 to 235 where he foolishly attacks Max Weber who wrote among other "The Social Reasons for the Fall of the Ancient Civilization" which Dulbruck argues with on many points. On page 230, Dulbruck admits that a citizenary disarmed by its government fell to barbarian invasion, somthing Dulbruck sees but then wants to argue with, so he concocts a circular arguement that somehow disarmament is normal since it forces then a better military since the citizens can not defend themselves. He then won't say what you do when that military or police force does not act. The argument only partially shown here is so odd and circular that it is hard to discuss it. Since he can't win on an issue he muddies it.

Dulbruck claims that the bureaucratic government in Rome was taken down by a lack of mining (p244) to create enough coins for the affluence afforded it by the Roman system (likely true somewhat).Though I simplify in this short review, it must be said that Dulbruck, for some reason, quit his great diatribe against the true problems of history and began an apology for "more government" as the oversized Roman government itself fell under its own weight and foolishness.

Anyway, Volume II is so questionable I don't know how one reads it seriously. Though Volume I contained what seemed to be many simple truths that forced a change of view of history.

Likely Reasons: Dulbruck taught the German Imperial family so likely had reasons to find a point of blame exterior to government like mining, rather than be a government critic, while or after having taught an imperial prince. Also he became in government employ as a college teacher thus likely felt threatened by capitalism though ironically the modern corporation has become one of the largest supporters of the scholastic bureaucratic system in history even more so than government itself. In modern times Dulbruck might have been more moderate in his view.

Very good, but a bit hard to read
The book is not just a window to the Ancient World military history but also to the scholar writing of late 18th Century. You really need to be concentrated to fight with the annotations at the end of each chapter which often take more pages than the own chapter.
Many of the conclusions (just a sample, the relative sizes of Greek and Spartan armies or the actual location of the Marathon battle) are so in contradiction with everything we have learned that one would like to be an archeologist in position to go the (alternative) sites and search for evidences. It would be really nice to know if someone has already done it. I think this book, being published in Germany and only recently available in English, has been undeservedly ignored by almost allmilitary (and, of course, normal) historians to date.

One word: Unmatched.
I've lost count of the number of books that I have read on ancient warfare, especially those featuring Hannibal and/or Caesar and accepted most that they were realistic reporting on history as we understood it - without ever really questioning the sources on which these books were based.

Then I picked up this marvel of historical analysis.I can say without reservation that Delbrück is quite simply the first historian of ancient warfare that I've encounted that actually ANALYSES the material that he is writing about.

His analysis of the Battles of Cannae and Pharsalus (to mention but two examples) are brilliant for their exacting detail and consideration of factors other than sheer numbers makes this work really stand out.I could write a book about how good this book is (and I suspect many have), but suffice to say that if you have an interest in ancient warfare and want to read something that will really get you thinking then this is one book that you do not want to miss.

I can't wait for the 2nd volume to arrive so I can get stuck into that as well.

Impressive (with some reservations)
The debate over the accuracy of Delbruck's revisionist approach to historical battle accounts aside, Warfare in Antiquity is an impressive effort by a meticulous author.

First of all, it should be made clear that these volumes are not "History of War" or "the Art of War", but "History of the Art of War."That is, you must already have or be prepared to obtain a historical context for the subject matter - Delbruck spends virtually no time providing background or summaries of the subject matter.In addition, Dulbruck does not address (at least, in his initial volumes) how war ought to be waged (ala Clausewitz).Rather, the focus of his work in on the evolution of the art of war employed at key historic events.

These volumes are at their most engaging in the study of ancient warfare.The analysis of the evolution of tactics in response to weapons, fighting styles, population, and geography is fascinating.

I have two major gripes with these books (and yes, I realize the author is long dead and unable to satisfy my deficiencies): First is the serious need of editing and revision.So much information is crammed into the footnotes, addenda, and revised responses that it makes the read of each chapter something like transcendant deja-vu.It makes for a multi-tiered reading experience that is quite unique, and disconcerting.Secondly, a few diagrams, maps, or plots would have been extremely helpful.I'm afraid that I'm a product of an educational system that limits my ability to conceptually distinguish between knolls, hillocks, rises, and a plain-old hill.

As to Delbruck's penchant for demythologizing ancient battles, I can only say that he is fairly convincing, most notably with regard to Marathon.

Delbruck's Logical approace to Military History is perfect.
This book and its sister volumes are a must have for any serious or amature historian. He is methodical in the extreame in fully backing up the conclusions he reaches. Some may be upset by his debunking of long held myths i.e. Barbarian numerical superiority in battles with Rome, and many people will confuse his use of terminology but he never makes a claim with out strong support. You will rarely see such research and footnoting in the commonly free-wheeling military history world. One commentor attacked his use of the term Phalanx for example. It is unfortunate that so many people have fallen into incorrect common references for such fundamental ancient battle formations. Delbruck is absolutely correct in his use of the term Phalanx since its correct usage is to reference the mass of the formed infantry in any ancient army and not individual units as so many have come to believe as a result of poor scholarship by many casual historians. This is a particular problem in the wargaming world where much terminology, phalanx among them, is incorrectly used. In fact Delbruck does one of the best jobs you will find pointing out the reasons to be skeptical regarding army size reports through out history and is very methodical in showing where these exagerations most notably occur and why. He does all this while not dismissing the core importance of the first hand accounts he is referencing. If you want to begin to understand ancient warfare this is the book you should start with and all others should be held to its high standard. ... Read more

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The Headstart History Papers aim to identify important themes and topics the significance of which extends beyond the studies of professional historians. The Papers are distillations of the research of distinguished scholars in a form appropriate to sixth formers, undergraduates and the general reader. CONTENTS: Historiography 2) The End of Antiquity 3) The Dark Ages 4) Mohammed and Charlemagne 5) The Vikings 6) Incastellamento ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Canadian Journal of History, published by University of Saskatchewan on December 1, 2001. The length of the article is 964 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Barbarians Speak: How the Conquered Peoples Shaped Roman Europe. (Reviews: ancient and medieval). (book review)
Author: Steven E. Hijmans
Publication: Canadian Journal of History (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 2001
Publisher: University of Saskatchewan
Volume: 36Issue: 3Page: 529(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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In Greek thought, barbaroi are utterers of unintelligible or inarticulate sounds. What importance does the text of Herodotus's Histories attribute to language as a criterion of ethnic identity? The answer to this question illuminates the empirical foundations of Herodotus's pluralistic worldview. The first translator of cultures also translates, describes, and evaluates foreign speech to a degree unparalleled by other Greek ancient authors. For Herodotus, language is an area of interesting but surprisingly unproblematic difference, which he offers to his audience as a model for coming to terms in a neutral way with other, more emotionally charged, cultural differences.

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Illustrated.PrefaceIn the following pages I have endeavoured to portray the life and character of one of the most striking figures in the history of the Early Middle Ages, Theodoric the Ostrogoth. The plan of the series, for which this volume has been prepared, does not admit of minute discussion of the authorities on which the history rests. In my case the omission is of the less consequence, as I have treated the subject more fully in my larger work, "Italy and her Invaders", and as also the chief authorities are fully enumerated in that book which is or ought to be in the library of every educated Englishman and American, Gibbon's "History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire".The fifth and sixth centuries do not supply us with many materials for pictorial illustrations, and I do not know where to look for authentic and contemporary representations of the civil or military life of Theodoric and his subjects. We have, however, a large and interesting store of nearly contemporary works of art at Ravenna, illustrating the ecclesiastical life of the period, and of these the engraver has made considerable use. The statue of Theodoric at Innsbruck, a representation of which is included with the illustrations, possesses, of course, no historical value, but is interesting as showing how deeply the memory of Theodoric's great deeds had impressed itself on the mind of the Middle Ages.And here I will venture on a word of personal reminiscence. The figure of Theodoric the Ostrogoth has been an interesting and attractive one to me from the days of my boyhood. I well remember walking with a friend on a little hill (then silent and lonely, now covered with houses), looking down on London, and discussing European politics with the earnest interest which young debaters bring to such a theme. The time was in those dark days which followed the revolutions of 1848, when it seemed as if the life of the European nations would be crushed out under the heel of returned and triumphant despotism. For Italy especially, after the defeat of Novara, there seemed no hope. We talked of Mazzini, Cavour, Garibaldi, and discussed the possibility — which then seemed so infinitely remote — that there might one day be a free and united Italy. We both agreed that the vision was a beautiful one, but was there any hope of it ever becoming a reality? My friend thought there was not, and argued from the fact of Italy's divided condition in the past, that she must always be divided in the future. I, who was on the side of hope, felt the weakness of my position, and was driven backward through the centuries, till at length I took refuge in the reign of Theodoric. Surely, under the Ostrogothic king, Italy had been united, strong, and prosperous. My precedent was a remote one, but it was admitted, and it did a little help my cause.Since that conversation more than forty years have passed. The beautiful land is now united, free, and mighty; and a new generation has arisen, which, though aware of the fact that she was not always thus, has but a faint conception how much blood and how many tears, what thousands of broken hearts and broken lives went to the winning of Italy's freedom. I, too, with fuller knowledge of her early history, am bound to confess that her unity even under Theodoric was not so complete as I then imagined it. But still, as I have more than once stated in the following pages, I look upon his reign as a time full of seeds of promise for Italy and the world, if only these seeds might have had time to germinate and ripen into harvest. Closer study has only confirmed me in the opinion that the Ostrogothic kingdom was one of the great "Might-have-beens" of History. ... Read more

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Great book featuring the history and culture of the Middle Ages, Medieval and Gothic periods. Sections on Barberian settlements, Bermanic organization, Christian society, , material culture and other topics. Includes several maps and a bibliography.Black cloth hardcover with illustrated dust jacket. 393 pages. Measures 7 by 10 inches. Interesting book. ... Read more

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The word khan is not a name, but a title. It means chieftain or king. It is a word used in various forms by the different tribes and nations that from time immemorial have inhabited Central Asia, and has been applied to a great number of potentates and rulers that have from time to time arisen among them. Genghis Khan was the greatest of these princes. He was, in fact, one of the most renowned conquerors whose exploits history records.


As in all other cases occurring in the series of histories to which this work belongs, where the events narrated took place at such a period or in such a part of the world that positively reliable and authentic information in respect to them can now no longer be obtained, the author is not responsible for the actual truth of the narrative which he offers, but only for the honesty and fidelity with which he has compiled it from the best sources of information now within reach. ... Read more

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This chronological presentation of Western Europe in the Middle Ages provides the political, religious, intellectual, and economic history of the time.The revision of this classic, definitive text includes the latest historiography and more coverage of medieval society and women.Famous for its compelling narrative, the blend of chronology and historical interpretation, anecdotal info which brings the medieval world to life, and the accompanying readers (SOURCES and READINGS). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The Big Picture
This book is written in textbook-style (because it is a textbook) and gives the reader a perspective of the 'big picture' of the time-period covered. It does this well. My only criticism is the bookcover, which though aesthetically appealing, is flimsy.

Tierney Puts the Medieval Back in the Middle Ages
Hello. I have used this book as a textbook for two courses at the University of California. It proved to be the most 'edutaining' of texts I've so far read. Tierney and his co-author do a brilliant job of retellingMedieval history as it happened in Western Europe. The first chapter of thebook delivers a romantic summary of Europe under the hegemony of Greece andRome up until Late Antiquity. The authors then take the reader throughearly Medieval France, Germany, northern Italy, and England. The chapterscan be read by themselves and are not organized chronologically, but bythemes and places. The only issue I have with the book is that it focusessharply on Franco-English history. Germany is center but not part of thecore in the book, so the reader is not submerged in the same depth asFrance and England run. Tierney devotes some subchapters to the peripheryof Western Europe, but what is lacking is the same in-depth coverage asFrance and England. If the reader wants to find only introductory knowledgeto Byzantium, Spain, Central, and Eastern Europe he/she will be satisfiedwith the light coverage Tierney gives: the important details of people andplaces. The periphary of Europe has not heavily influenced Westerncivilization, but should never be overlooked; Spain is only mentionedduring the Inquisition and Moorish conquest. It is more worthy of note thanwhat Tierney says of it. The book is still a pleasure to read andunderstand even with its emphasis on France and Britain.

Tierney Puts the Medieval Back in the Middle Ages
Salutations all.I have used this book as a text for two courses covering the Early and Late Middle Ages while as a student at UC Riverside.Tierney and his co-author do a laudable job of presenting Western Medieval Europeto readers.The book is organized thematically and in each theme thematerial is presented chonologically.The reader may choose any chapterand read with little prior knowledege.That said, it starts by summarizingClassical Antiquity and moves onto Frankish history.Indeed,Franco-British history is the core of the book and that makes readingsomewhat frustrating: gobs of legal and parliamentary history are scatteredthroughout the pages.However, dry as it is, Tierney makes the history andconception of the Western nation-state interesting and provocative with histheories of English parliament and monarchial constitution.And the papalmonarchy illustrates the shrewdness and Machiavellian politics of theperiod: Medieval Europeans were highly civilized and intelligent as thePapacy shows.Those bonuses come at the expense of he periphery of Europe:Byzantium, Spain, and the Frontier East.To be sure, Tierney does notneglect them, but the pages he devotes serve as springboards for the readerto investigate by him/herself.And for its even-handedness, the book isworth reading for pleasure or academic learning.

Complete and Fun
This was a great, if at times slightly overwhelming read.It served as a central textbook for a medieval history class at my school and I found it acessible, enjoyable and orderly.At times approached chronologically,other times thematically, I found it to be a useful and insightful tool. ... Read more

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The Outlaw of Torn is a historical novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was his second novel, his first being the science fiction work A Princess of Mars. His third was Tarzan of the Apes.

The story is set in 13th century England and concerns the outlaw Norman of Torn, who purportedly harried the country during the power struggle between King Henry III and Simon de Montfort. Norman is the supposed son of the Frenchman de Vac, once the king's fencing master, who has a grudge against his former employer and raises the boy to be a simple, brutal killing machine with a hatred of all things English. His intentions are partially subverted by a priest who befriends Norman and teaches him his letters and chivalry towards women.

... Read more

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A PICTURESQUE TALE OF PROGRESS was written by Olive Beaupré Miller, assisted by Harry Neal Baum, who had been a professor of history at the University of Wisconsin. The set includes 8 volumes divided into 4 themes: Beginnings, Conquests, New Nations, Explorations. 'Picturesque' here refers to the many beautiful illustrations and maps that give this work its unique value. In a world where the quality of education has deteriorated, this wonderful historical text shines as a beacon to a new generation of young (and not-so-young) scholars! THIS SET IS ESPECIALLY BELOVED AND SOUGHT AFTER BY HOME SCHOOLERS. This is Volume 5 of the set. NEW NATIONS I covers the fall of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Medieval Church, the Vikings, and the Feudal Age. ... Read more