Description: Laonikos was one of the Greek historians of the fall of Constantinople in 1453, and the first Greek writer to treat Islam as a legitimate cultural and religious system. He viewed Byzantines as Greeks rather than Romans, and his Histories of the expansion of the Ottoman Empire stands at the origins of Neo-Hellenic identity.
Brief description: Anthony Kaldellis is Professor and Chair of the Department of Classics at The Ohio State University. He is the author of many books, including The Christian Parthenon, Hellenism in Byzantium, and The Byzantine Republic, which have been translated into French, Greek, and Russian.
Review Quotes: There is much here that would appeal to readers interested specifically in Byzantine history, and more generally in the history of the east Mediterranean, the Balkans, and Turkey in the 14th and 15th centuries. The translation flows smoothly and is accompanied by much needed explanatory notes on persons and geography.--J. W. Nesbitt "Choice" (4/1/2015 12:00:00 AM)