Armies of the Byzantine Empire, 395-1204

Organization, Weapons and Equipment

Gabriele Esposito

$80

Other merchandise

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Pen and Sword
01 December 2025

History; Ancient history: to c 500 CE; Military history; Weapons & equipment

The Byzantine Empire originated in AD 395 from the definitive subdivision of the Roman Empire into two distinct political entities: the Western Empire and the Eastern Empire. While the Western Empire disappeared in 476, due to Germanic invasions, the Eastern Empire endured for centuries. During Justinian's reign (527-565) a good portion of the western territories were reconquered for a time and the Empire retained a distinctive 'Roman' nature at least until the reign of Heraclius (610-641). But during his reign, the Eastern Empire came under attack from the expanding Muslim Arabs, losing a much of its original Eastern territories. With Imperial power weakened and restricted largely to the Balkans and Anatolia, the 'Roman' nature of the Eastern Empire became progressively more Greek and transformed into what we know as 'the Byzantine Empire' (though they called themselves Romans to the end). Despite being surrounded by enemies, the Byzantines defended their remaining domains for a further half a millenium, their territories expanding and contracting with fluctuating fortunes. This tenacious survival was largely due to the ability of their military to adapt (as Roman armies always had) to emerging threats from a wide variety of enemies. The Byzantine Empire collapsed only in 1204, when attacked by forces of the Fourth Crusade, its ostensible allies. In addition to presenting an overview and analysis of the various campaigns of the period, Gabriele Esposito provides a complete review of Byzantine military organization, weapons, tactics and equipment. The clear text is lavishly illustrated with dozen of colour photographs of replica arms, armour and costume in use.

AUTHOR: Professor Gabriele Esposito is a history teacher specialized in military history, whose interests and expertise range widely over various periods. He is the author of numerous books and articles on armies and uniforms and is a regular contributor to many specialized magazines in Italy, France, Netherlands and UK.

80 colour illustrations

By: Gabriele Esposito
Imprint: Pen and Sword
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 246mm, Width: 172mm,
ISBN: 9781036112929
ISBN 10: 1036112926
Pages: 192
Publication Date: 01 December 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Other merchandise
Publisher's Status: Unspecified

Professor GABRIELE ESPOSITO is a history teacher specialized in military history, whose interests and expertise range widely over various periods. He is the author of numerous books and articles on armies and uniforms and is a regular contributor to many specialized magazines in Italy, France, Netherlands and UK.