History Books Review

Latest Episodes:

Grand Strategy of the Byzantine Empire by Edward Luttwak Feb 09, 2012

Show notes

The Byzantine empire was finally ended in 1453 some eleven hundred years since Constantine moved the capital from Rome. For most of that time it had looked weak, often catastrophically so. It had been on its knees many times. Somehow it always managed to come through against the odds. Edward Luttwak's book goes a long way to explain how it managed it. If you are managing a declining superpower, this is a must read book.

Why the West Rules (For Now) by Ian Morris Feb 07, 2012

Show notes

During the Middle Ages the sophistication and size of China dwarfed anything in Europe or the Middle East and an impartial observer would no doubt have confidently predicted that it would be the Chinese who were destined to rule the world. But they had achieved this by default thanks to problems and instability at the other end of the huge Eurasian continent. Later it was to be the Chinese that succumbed to problems leaving the West to forge ahead. Today the situation is that both are stable enough for development to proceed. They are also very well aware of one another and interacting like never before. This is a new and unique situation in history. What will happen next? Morris can't and doesn't answer this directly. But what he does do is tell the story in enough detail to give an idea of where we are now. And it is quite a story. The economic history is used as the backbone of the book, but we get a lot of insight into how most of the time people are simply working to solve the problems they are faced with. We don't see the big picture on a day to day basis. You have to read a book like this to see that.

The Hymn to Cybele by Julian the Apostate Jan 11, 2012

Show notes

"Grant unto all men happiness, of which the sum and substance is the knowledge of the gods; and to the Roman people universally, first and foremost to wash away from themselves the stain of atheism, and in addition to this, grant them propitious Fortune, that shall assist them in governing the empire for many thousands of years to come! To myself grant for the fruit of my devotion to thee–-Truth in belief concerning the gods, the attainment of perfection in religious rites, and in all the undertakings which we attempt as regards warlike or military measures, valour coupled with good luck, and the termination of my life to be without pain, and happy in the good hope of a departure for your abodes!"

When Magic Still Made Sense: The History Books Review Guide to Neoplatonism Dec 28, 2011

Show notes

Imagine some people who had grown up and lived their entire lives chained to the wall of a cave. Their only view of the world comes from shadows cast into the cave. They would have some idea of what the world was like, but would be unable to fully experience and appreciate the full depth of the colours, the sounds and the smells of the world outside. They would have only the haziest notions of the motivations and passions of the people living there.

Julian and the Christians Dec 08, 2011

Show notes

Alexandria was one of the major cities of the Roman empire, and one that would have appealed to Julian. It was founded by Alexander the Great, who was one of Julian's heroes. It was also the centre of a major pagan cult, that of Serapis. (If you are wondering who Serapis was, he was created by the Greek founders of Alexandria as an amalgam of Greek and Egyptian elements so as to appeal to both ethnic groups. Cynical manipulation of religion for political purposes has a long history.) And the intellectual achievements of the Alexandrians rivaled those of Athens. Basically it was his kind of place, or rather it would have been had it not also been an important centre of Christian thought as well.

Julian and the Pagans Nov 27, 2011

Show notes

Constantine's adoption of Christianity and the ramifications of it triggered off a full scale religious crisis in the empire that was to last for the whole of the fourth century. As Julian came to the throne Christians were already fighting other Christians and it was only a matter of time before other religions resorted to violence as well. What would Julian do about it? To everyone's surprise his first edict was one of tolerance. His approach looked good on paper. Everyone was free to follow whatever spiritual path that suited them. Full religious freedom was good news for most people on a personal level. Jews and pagans had a whole series of irksome restrictions lifted. The previously non-favoured brands of Christianity also were able to worship in freedom.

Julian and the Jews Nov 21, 2011

Show notes

It is hard not to admire the way that the Jews have succeeded in maintaining their culture and identity for many thousands of years. This has been achieved in the face of some pretty big practical difficulties. They have rarely had the support of a state and have often been subject to some pretty severe persecutions.For instance, when Julian became the last pagan to come to the throne they were going through one of their bad patches. The Christians had not that long ago broken away from the Jewish tradition and the two faiths had the kinds of issues that might be expected from a pair that had just been through a messy divorce. Prior to the rise of Christianity the Jews had fallen foul of several of the emperors as a result of a number of brave but not tremendously successful revolts. Hadrian had banned them from Jerusalem. The ban was still in force and on top of that Constantius had imposed extra taxes on them.

Against the Galileans by Julian the Apostate Nov 11, 2011

Show notes

Not many leaders in history write books. Quite a few don't read books. Those that do put pen to paper rarely write anything of more than historical interest. But even among the small number that do stand up to scrutiny, Julian the Apostate's lengthy polemic 'Against the Galileans', his critique of the Christianity of his time, is a completely unique document. There really is nothing to compare it with.

Julian the Apostate Oct 30, 2011

Show notes

Religion is often accused of causing most of the wars in history. This is hardly fair. People are quite capable of picking fights without any divine inspiration, even if religion is a handy justification to cover your true motives. And religious leaders sometimes take a role in solving problems, which evens up the balance sheet a bit. But the charge is not totally groundless. Religion itself can be the problem, and the religious trauma of the late Roman Empire is the textbook case.

Julian the Reformer Oct 11, 2011

Show notes

Julian managed to get a lot done in his short life. It's a shame he didn't write a book on time management, I'd love to know how he was so productive, but he did write a lot. Its a shame that more of his writings haven't survived. They aren't as well written as the works of Caesar or Marcus Aurelius and his choice of subject matter isn't particularly compelling. But nonetheless you can still pick up his intelligence and perceptiveness. I get the feeling that he would have been pretty successful at anything to which he turned his mind. Getting to be the emperor of Rome was a bit of a lottery, but it was the kind of level that Julian was quite capable of handling.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

History Books Review

Related Podcasts

1

2

3

4

5

6