Streams of Gold, Rivers of Blood

The Rise and Fall of Byzantium, 955 A.D. to the First Crusade

By: Anthony Kaldellis

Narrated by: Nigel Patterson

In the second half of the tenth century, Byzantium embarked on a series of spectacular conquests. By the early eleventh century, the empire was the most powerful state in the Mediterranean. Yet this imperial project came to a crashing collapse fifty years later, when political disunity, fiscal mismanagement, and defeat at the hands of the Seljuks and the Normans brought an end to Byzantine hegemony. By 1081, Byzantium's very existence was threatened.

How did this transformation happen? Based on a close examination of the relevant sources, this history offers a new reconstruction of the key events and crucial reigns as well as a different model for understanding imperial politics and wars. In addition to providing a narrative of this critical period of Byzantine history, Streams of Gold, Rivers of Blood offers new interpretations of topics relevant to the medieval era.

The narrative unfolds in three parts: the first covers the years 955-1025, a period of imperial conquest and consolidation of authority under the great emperor Basil "the Bulgar-Slayer."

The second (1025-1059) examines the dispersal of centralized authority in Constantinople and the emergence of new foreign enemies.

The last section chronicles the collapse of the empire, concluding with a look at the First Crusade and its consequences for Byzantine relations with the powers of Western Europe.

©2017 Oxford University Press (P)2024 Tantor

Well researched, well written

From the military, to the government, to the economy and trade, and all the way up to the first crusade, Kaldellis does an exceptional job both recapping and shedding new light on changes which took place in Roman society at the time. It is well written, easy to understand, and a must-read for anyone interested in that era of Byzantine history.

Depth of research and clarity of presentation

Loved it! Great research, wonderful story and excellent narration. After listening I bought the hard copy. I highly recommend this book

In depth historical analysis

Many history books are inch deep mile wide, this one does a great job delving deep.

Super Duper

Good history of revival and then collapse of Byzantine Empire. Starts in 950’s and then goes to end of first Crusade

Very Detailed but Tedious

This book is extremely dense with historical minutiae but the flow can be challenging at times. My primary relates to the narrator, who frequently mispronounces names/terms and is generally droning/monotone. This is a poor combination with such dense material. The information would have been much easier to integrate with a more exciting narrator who was familiar with the historical actors and terminology.