Review by Choice Review
Working with full control of the sources and secondary materials, Bartusis (Northern State Univ.) has written an important book that examines the Byzantine army during the two and a half centuries prior to the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, while providing a partial military explanation for the fall of the empire. He points out the lack of human and material resources as well as the failure of particular decision makers at critical times. The first third of this work places the army in its political context while the remaining eight chapters deal with institutions such as mercenaries, recruitment, garrisons, land holding, border guards, and equipment. Although Bartusis does not provide a nuanced critique of the sources or a sophisticated conceptualization, he compensates for these shortcomings with detailed information. However, his treatment of military demography is compromised by a failure to apply logistic tests, strategic thinking is not developed, and more attention to continuity is needed. Bartusis's discussion of "feudalism" demonstrates inadequate acquaintance with the research front in Western medieval military history. General; advanced undergraduate; graduate; faculty. B. S. Bachrach; University of Minnesota
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
