A compelling biography of Constantine I's heir: "Excellent analyses of a number of battles and sieges . . . a good read for anyone interested in the late Empire." — The NYMAS ReviewThe reign of Constantius II has been overshadowed by that of his titanic father, Constantine the Great, and his cousin and successor, the pagan Julian. But as Peter Crawford shows, Constantius deserves to be remembered as a very capable ruler in dangerous, tumultuous times....

This exploration reveals how the Late Roman Republic’s dramatic shifts, from Gracchus to Caesar, reshape our understanding of power, fame, and fate in ancient Rome.The period 133-44BC, bookended by the murders of Tiberius Gracchus and Julius Caesar, was one of profound political change in the Roman world. Aspects of the Late Roman Republic, 133-44BC: Dipping into Cicero’s ‘Romulan Cesspool’ collects a series of 58 essays on various events and people of that era tha...

Reassesses Emperor Leo III's reign, focusing on his military, religious, and political challenges in stabilizing the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire (long since ruled from Constantinople) was in a perilous and tumultuous position in the early eighth century. Surrounded by expansionist enemies, most notably the Muslim Arab Umayyad Caliphate but also the Khazars, Slavs, Avars, Bulgars and Lombards, it was also riven by religious controversy and internal political instability. When a plot brou...

Reassesses Emperor Leo III's reign, focusing on his military, religious, and political challenges in stabilizing the Roman Empire.The Roman Empire (long since ruled from Constantinople) was in a perilous and tumultuous position in the early eighth century. Surrounded by expansionist enemies, most notably the Muslim Arab Umayyad Caliphate but also the Khazars, Slavs, Avars, Bulgars and Lombards, it was also riven by religious controversy and internal political insta...

"An exceptional, well written, exhaustively researched, and detailed biography" of the controversial Roman emperor—from the author of Constantius II ( Midwest Book Review).Justinian II became Roman emperor at a time when the Empire was beset by external enemies. His forces gained success against the Arabs and Bulgars but his religious and social policies fueled internal opposition which resulted in him being deposed and mutilated ...

"A very useful read for anyone interested in the Later Roman Empire, the fall of the Western Empire, and the emergence of the Byzantine State." — The NYMAS ReviewPeter Crawford examines the life and career of the fifth-century Roman emperor Zeno and the various problems he faced before and during his seventeen-year rule. Despite its length, his reign has hitherto been somewhat overlooked as being just a ...

The War of the Three Gods is a military history of the Near and Middle East in the seventh century-with its chief focus on the reign of the Eastern Roman Emperor Heraclius (AD 610641)-a pivotal and dramatic time in world history. The Eastern Roman Empire was brought to the very brink of extinction by the Sassanid Persians before Heraclius managed to inflict a crushing defeat on the Sassanids with a desperate, final gambit. His conquests were short-lived, however, for the newly co...

“Lascelles has achieved the seemingly impossible: a concise and highly readable history of Catholic Popes that manages to be extremely entertaining and informative at the same time.”Gerald Posner, author of God’s Bankers"A brilliant book on a number of different levels. Lascelles has an engaging prose style and an amazing eye for detail and apposite anecdote. Surely only purblind Catholic zelanti will object to this outstanding analysis.”Frank...

A new, comprehensive exploration of the Gestapo from a renowned historian of the Third Reich.Drawing on a detailed examination of previously unpublished Gestapo case files this book relates the fascinating, vivid and disturbing accounts of a cross-section of ordinary and extraordinary people who opposed the Nazi regime. It also tells the equally disturbing stories of the involvement of the German citizenry in the Gestapo’s surveillance and reveals the cold-blooded,...

A fresh account of some of history's greatest warriors.The Vikings had an extraordinary and far-reaching historical impact. From the eighth to the eleventh centuries, they ranged across Europe-raiding, exploring, colonizing-and their presence was felt as far away as Russia and Byzantium. They are most famous as warriors, yet perhaps their talent for warfare is too little understood. Philip Line, in this scholarly and highly readable study of the Viking age, uses or...

An account of the ancient battle between Persia and the alliance of Greek city-states, including the legendary "300 Spartans."In 480 BCE, Persian king Xerxes led a massive invasion of Greece. A critical point in this invasion was the battle for the pass at Thermopylae—"Hot Gates" in Greek. Xerxes had amassed one of the largest armies yet known to man, while Leonidas's troops, a group of united Spartans, Thespians, Thebans, and others, including slaves, were a small ...

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year that Sir Ian McKellen called a shocking tale of heroes and villains-illuminating and upsetting in equal measure.”The first production of Oscar Wilde’s Salomé in 1918, with American exotic dancer Maud Allan dancing lead, ignited a firestorm in London spearheaded by Noel Pemberton Billing, a member of Parliament and self-appointed guardian of family values. Billing attacked Allan in the right-wing newspaper...