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Historical Sailing from Byzantium: How a Lost Empire Shaped the World by Colin Wells $22 / Delacorte Press/ 2006 Just as it straddled the continents of Europe and Asia, the Byzantine Empire connected the vastly different worlds of antiquity and the Middle Ages. Author Colin Wells illustrates the Byzantines’ influence upon the Western, Islamic, and Slavic worlds in Sailing From Byzantium, and paints a vivid portrait of imperial intrigue, military conquests, and brilliant intellectual achievements. The three sections of this book describe the legacies transmitted by the Byzantines to the peoples of Italy, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Revived interest in ancient Greek learning spread during the early Renaissance, despite the growing schism between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Ancient Greek texts and ideas also inspired Muslim intellectuals during the Arabic Enlightenment, while Orthodox Christianity became the dominant legacy bequeathed to the Slavic world. At times, Wells’ narrative slows to reveal meticulous details about politics, important characters, and the diffusion of texts; at other times, it quickly flows over complex developments. While this can be frustrating for specialists, it helps prevent the book from getting bogged down in complicated events. A dominant theme in this book is the Hesychast controversy, a movement of religious mysticism that rejected ancient rationalism. Wells thoughtfully describes the controversy’s impact on the Byzantines’ relations with their neighbors, specifically how stubborn adherence to the rejection of rationalism prevented the Byzantines from securing the western military aid they so desperately needed. Wells also describes the evolution of the Byzantines’ ideas and values, even as they bestowed the knowledge of the ancient Greeks upon the rest of the world. His portrayal of the struggle between faith and reason brings a modern perspective to this antiquated controversy. While the scope of this book is impressive, Wells occasionally compromises depth in certain areas to focus on the broader significance of the Byzantine Empire. Still, this is an entertaining glimpse into many different aspects of the medieval world, capturing drama and action in locations across the globe while elucidating the Byzantines’ importance to history. For those interested in the political and cultural climates of the Middle Ages, Sailing From Byzantium is a fascinating read. — Rose Rankin

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