Lost to the West

Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization
By Lars Brownworth
Crown Publishers, 2009, 329 pages, Nonfiction

Why is it that Western Civilization has been largely chronicled without mentioning the powerful and influential Byzantine Empire that ruled most of the old Roman Empire for over a millennia? In this immensely readable Nonfiction work, the author brings to life some of the most fascinating and little known individuals from throughout the Byzantine era. Brownworth details the influence Byzantium had on Western Europe and proves that without the Byzatine Empire to keep the Turks at bay, Europe would have been overrun.

After visiting Istanbul, I was very interested to learn more about its storied past. This book was very easy to understand and I definitely learned a few things I’d never known before.

AJ