Suggested Readings

BYZANTIUM: THE SURVIVAL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Bowersock, Glen, Peter Brown, and Oleg Grabar, eds., Late Antiquity. A Guide to the Post-

Classical World. 1999. Interpretive essays combine with state of the art encyclopedia

entries make this a starting point for current discussion.

Brubaker, Leslie, and John Haldon,with Robert Ousterhout. Byzantium in the Iconoclast Era

(ca. 680-850): the Sources: An Annotate Survey. 2001. An excellent place to begin

investigation of the problems posed by Byzantine iconoclasm.

Cormack, Robin, Writing in Gold. Byzantine Society and its Icons. 1985. An expert discussion

of icons in the Byzantine world.

Haldon, John F., Byzantium in the Seventh Century. The Transformation of a Culture. 1990. A

major investigation of the deepseated changes that produced medieval Byzantium by a

leading expert.

Treadgold, Warren, A History of the Byzantine State and Society. 1997. A reliable, expert

narrative of Byzantine history.

THE NEW WORLD OF ISLAM

Bulliet, Richard W., The Camel and the Wheel. 1990. A fascinating investigation of the

importance of the camel in history.

Cook, Michael, Muhammad. 1996. A short, incisive account of Muhammad's life that questions

the traditional picture.

Crone, Patricia, and Michael Cook, Hagarism: The Making of the Islamic World. 1977. A challenging view of the origins of Islam.

Donner, Fred M., The Early Islamic Conquests 1981. Discusses the first phases of Islamic

expansion.

Hourani, George, Arab Seafaring in the Indian Ocean in Ancient and Early Medieval Times

1995. The standard discussion of Arab maritime activity.

Robinson, Francis, ed., The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World. 1977. Many

excellent and well illustrated articles that will be useful for beginners.

Brown, Peter, The Rise of Western Christendom. Triumph and Diversity AD 200 -- 1000. 2001.

A brilliant interpretation of the development of Christianity in its social context.

Brown, Thomas S., Gentlemen and Officers.Imperial Administration and Aristocratic Power in

Byzantine Italy. A.D.554-800.1984. The basic study of Byzantine rule in Italy between

Justinian and Charlemagne.

Cohen, Jeremy, Living Letters of the Law. Ideas of the Jew in Medieval Christianity. 1999. A

masterful investigation of early medieval Judaism.

Geary, Patrick J., The Myth of Nations . 2002. A stimulating and passionate call for Europeans

to confront their destructive myths of national origin by rexamining the emergence of

early medieval societies following the collapse of Rome in western Europe. This book

will make students understand why history is important.

Herrin, Judith. The Formation of Christendom. 1987. A basic treatment of the early medieval

Mediterranean and European worlds, with special emphasis on the development of

Christian beliefs and institutions.

Strayer, Joseph B., editor-in-chief, Dictionary of the Middle Ages 1986. An indispensible

reference work.

Webster, Leslie and Michelle Brown, eds., The Transformation of the Roman World. AD 400-

900 1997. A well illustrated synthesis with maps and bibliography.

Wickham, Chris, Early Medieval Italy. Central Government and Local Society, 400-1000.

1981. Examines the economic and social transformation of Italy.