Byzantine Armies 886–1118 (Men-at-Arms, 89)

Byzantine History seems to be often overlooked in My "Western" education. I absolutely love learning about this civilization that needs a longer look. We think of the Dark ages as single lords protecting their lands, but really there was this very enlightened part of the Roman Empire that never went anywhere.

I have a great collect of Osprey books. I love the brief history which gives context to visuals of the uniforms and weapons during different periods.

Now don't get me wrong, I didn't give this book a 3-star rating because it's badly-written or of low quality; on the contrary, it's very well-written with an excellent collection of manuscript illuminations,paintings,carvings and plaques in addition to Angus McBride's top notch illustrations.But it has a very,very serious drawback.With the exception of McBride's drawings all the other illustrations are black and white.I was already aware of that from previous reviews, before placing my order, but I thought I'd be able to live with that.Well, I can't.I compared these illustrations with their coloured versions found online and simply put, they can't be compared for detail,immediacy or effect.Besides, the more I think about it the more I find it ridiculous that an illustration book (an illustration! book for God's sake) in this day and age could still be in black and white.I was planning to order three more books of the Men-at-Arms series but not anymore.I prefer to wait for a (hopefully) future colour edition.This would also be my suggestion for anyone asking me...

Your standard men-at-arms book, concise but informative text paired with colorful plates to accurately rescontruct the appearance of the Byzantine Army and her mercenaries.

Ian Heath, Byzantine Armies 886-1118 (Oxford: Osprey Publications, 1979). Focusing on Byzantium during the 10th and 11th high point of power (up to the disaster at Manzikert in 1071), this work outlines the role of the elite Tagmata units station close by, the almost 50 military “Themes” or district, the role of the Varangian Guard (“Axe bearing barbarians” from Scandinavia) and other mercenaries. Interesting depictions of swords, spears and other weapons, albeit a bit weak on the cataphracts.-----------, Byzantine Armies AD 1118-1461 (Oxford: Osprey Publications, 1995). Follow-on to his earlier work, this one takes the story of Byzantine armies through the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the overwhelming of the final remnant on the Black Sea, the “Empire” of Trebizond in 1461 (after two failed attempts). This volume is clearly written, well-illustrated and full of fascinating information. For example, it lists (and illustrates) many of the mercenary troops employed by the Byzantine Empire over its last 300+ years: Alans, Albanian, Armenians, Bulgarians, Burgundians, Catalan, Cretans, Cumans, Englishmen, Georgians, Hungarians, “Latins” (Italians, Germans, Spanish and Franks or Kelts), Mongols, Patzinaks, Russians, Scandinavians, Serbs, Turks, Uzes (A Turkish people) and Vlachs (Wallachians). The decline of the Byzantine navy turns out to be a major factor in the fall of Constantinople.

This little booklet, first published in 1979, remains one of the best introductions to Byzantine Armies between the late 9th and early 12th century, although it has become dated in some places. This was the book that got me interested in Byzantine Armies some 30 years ago, and it can still be very much recommended for starters.Its introduction is valuable because it neatly summarizes in one short page how military might and diplomacy worked together to ensure the Empire's survival at least from 450 to 1204, although the booklet itself only focuses on the period from 886 and the beginning of the reign of Leo VI to 1118, the year that Alexios 1 Komnene died.The description and explanations of the Themata system and of the Tagmata and Guard regiments are amongst the clearest and most concise that I have come across, although some quibbles can be made. For instance, stating that "hardly a vestige remained of the old Roman military system" when the Emperor Maurice's military manual (the Strategikon) was introduced in a gross simplification. There have also been debates regarding the size of the forces that each thema could muster in theory and in practice and with regards to the size of the Tagmata. The numbers drawn from Arab chroniclers, which, unlike other Osprey authors, Ian Heath took the trouble to provide, seem questionable because they are so neat and round, but also because they allegedly apply only to cavalry. In reality, the real numbers could have been significantly lower and varied much more from one theme to another than the author implies and it is doubtful as to whether even the largest of all thema (the Anatolikon) could put in the field more than 3000 cavalry out of a total military papers strength of 15000, both infantry and cavalry.Another merit of this book is to include an interesting narrative of the Mantzikert even if, here again, the book shows its age by viewing the defeat as a military disaster rather than a political one. A third strongpoint is the inclusion of a section on the Byzantine army post-Mantzikert, especially at a time when most authors simply considered than the Byzantine army was shattered and crushed in 1071, and did not bother and were not interested in Byzantine armies after 1071 and under the Komnenes. Allegedly, this section is rather short, but it is better than nothing. The Byzantine army was not utterly destroyed in 1071, and the losses sustained by the armed forces were probably greater during the following civil war and two pitched battles between the Emperor Diogenes and the Doukai who had overthrown him than those against the Seljuk Turks.Finally, there are the plates. One of my favourites has always been that of the Klibanophoroi, the super-heavy cavalry than Nicephoros II Phokas introduced as shock troops to disrupt enemy heavy infantry and cavalry and of which there seem to have never been more than about 500. Another of my favourites is the plate showing the Russ mercenary and the two drawings of Varangians. Finally, the illustrations of the Norman, Turk and Patzinak mercenaries are also superb.To conclude, this little booklet may no longer be worth five stars, because the content has somewhat aged. However, it is still good and remains one of the best introduction on the subject, so it is still worth a good four stars.

This is a reference book, published by Osprey Publishing, on the armies of Byzantium when the Byzantine Empire was at its peak of influence and power. The Battle of Manzikert occurred in 1071 C.E. (in the Common Era) and is commonly recognized as the watershed turning point of the Empire. The battle is viewed as such an important major turning point that Osprey publishes a separate book in their Campaign series on the battle between the Seljuk Turks and the Byzantium Army.

Not so lavishly illustrated as other books in the genre.....but what illustration it has are relevant and excellently annotated.Unlike other books in this genre, the authors do not seek to show-off (and bamboozle the reader!) with arcane (and undefined!) Byzantine-Greek terminology!The textual knowledge is comprehensive, and well presented.There is no better popular presentation of this subject.

Just what I wanted for my latest wargaming project. An excellent and informative book. It provides an overview of the period and the armies involved with colour plates of some of the troop types and photographs of historical interest. I should never have sold my previous copy.

received to Turkey from Uk round 2 weeks,its not bad in this covid period,its exactly same as describedthanks

C'est un très vieux volume de la collection Men-at-Arms d'Osprey auquel on a affaire ici, puisqu'il est paru à l'origine en 1979. Ecrit par Ian Heath, un Britannique passionné par l'histoire militaire, et illustré par Angus McBride, disparu récemment, il ne comprend d'ailleurs que 40 pages, ce qui est bien peu.La période couverte ici dans l'Empire byzantin est assez courte, puisqu'elle s'étend du règne de Léon VI (886) à la fin de celui d'Alexis Ier Comnène (1118). Ian Heath passe d'abord en revue la structure, le paiement et l'équipement des troupes byzantines.Puis il présente les Tagmata, autrement dit l'armée centrale à disposition de l'empereur et composée d'unités de sa garde, dont la composition se modifie d'ailleurs pendant la période en question. Une partie particulière est dédiée à la fameuse garde varange, formée de Suédois descendus à Constantinople par la Russie, qui sont remplacés progressivement par des Danois, des Norvégiens, puis des Saxons vaincus, après Hastings. Osprey a d'ailleurs consacré récemment un autre de ses volumes à cette unité. Revenant sur le système des thèmes, l'armée provinciale, Ian Heath explique que celui-ci périclite dès le règne de Nicéphore Phocas, notamment parce que les grands propriétaires orientaux accaparent le système pour leur propre compte. D'où le recours de plus en plus massif aux mercenaires, en particulier d'origine turque.L'auteur termine par une description de la bataille de Manzikert, en 1071, qui n'est pas forcément très claire et d'ailleurs difficile à suivre en l'absence de cartes (!), aussi bien globales que tactiques -alors qu'à l'inverse, une carte évoque la bataille de Durazzo (1081)... sans qu'il en soit question dans le texte. Heath explique cependant que la défaite byzantine détruit l'armée traditionnelle de l'Empire et en particulier les Tagmata ; en outre, Byzance perd progressivement l'Asie Mineure et donc sa principale source de recrutement. Il est dommage que Ian Heath ne s'attarde pas à un peu plus sur le règne d'Alexis Ier Comnène, qui a la charge de reconstruire l'armée byzantine après le désastre de Manzikert. Les légendes des planches d'Angus McBride, plutôt anciennes mais toujours de belle facture, complètent le tout.L'ouvrage, trop bref, dépourvu de bibliographie, peine donc à satisfaire vraiment, d'autant qu'il ne s'attarde pas sur des points importants comme le recrutement ou la question très complexe des thèmes.

Wie alle Ospreys, vor allem tolle Zeichnungen. DIe historische Korrektheit, grade die Sensenschwingenden Waräger, kann wie immer angezweifeltt und sollte im Bedarfsfall recherchiert werden. Aber es gibt auch immer Abbildungen von Primärquellen, auf denen die Zeichnungen basieren. Und über die kann man sich natürlich weiter informieren.