The Lost Capital of Byzantium: The History of Mistra and the Peloponnese
Mistra is one of the most romantic of the medieval cities of Europe. Sir Steven Runciman, the most elegant of Byzantine historians, has encapsulated its history, topography and personalities in a masterpiece of compressed learning. (C. M. WoodhouseThe Observer)One comes away from this book certainly a great deal better informed--but also filled with a longing to see once again the view from the Pantanassa--and feel the centuries of violence settling into their grave. (Dilys PowellSunday Times)It is a history rich with political intrigue, dynastic ambition and petty battles. It is also a history of Byzantine complexity. With the eloquence, learning and love of his subject that we have come to expect from him, Sir Steven demonstrates how Mistra is one of the tangled main roots to our golden past. (Philip HowardThe Times)Deep learning and graceful style. (Bulletin of the Institute of Archaeology)