Palgrave advances in Byzantine history /

The first 4 of this book's 12 chapters briefly discuss political events, providing a setting for the next 8 chapters, which are devoted to surveys of specific topics including the army, the economy, the church, monasticism, literature, art history, and archaeology. Each contribution, written by a specialist in the field, is, where appropriate, introduced by an overview of primary sources and secondary literature. The editor has chosen wisely in asking Alice-Mary Talbot to write on monasticism. She has produced a well-etched account of its institutional structure as well as quotidian practices. A. Littlewood's sketch of Byzantine literature is a gem. It is a pleasure to see how a masterful writer can make a complex subject at once compact and comprehensive. Ken Dark's discussion of archaeology suffers from a lack of illustrative material. If an author catalogs buildings in Constantinople, the editor really should provide a city map and a few sketches of churches and civil structures. There is a limit to what one may expect a student to know or imagine, but the volume may be profitably used in undergraduate seminars on Byzantine studies. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. All academic levels/libraries. J. W. Nesbitt Dumbarton Oaks