Road to Manzikert

Just finished Brian Todd's book 'Road to Manzikert - Byzantine and Islamic Warfare 527 - 1071'.

Manzikert is of course one of the decisive battles in medieval history. The defeat of the Byzantine Empire, including the capture of the Emperor, by the Seljuk Turks resulted in the loss of Anatolia to the Empire. While there was something of a recovery, the Byzantine Empire lost key revenue, manpower and horse breeding areas to the Turks.

This book is about much more than the battle. The authors take us through 500 years of conflict from Justinian through the rise of Islam to the coming of the Turks. Usefully, not just a focus on the Byzantine Empire but good chapters on Islamic warfare as well.

The narrative is well written, but the strength of the book is in the maps and diagrams of the key battles. This really brings the text alive. Recommended.