Peoples of Europe – serie

The volume is divided into three parts, corresponding to the three main phases in Gothic history: their early history down to the fourth century, the revolution in Gothic society set in motion by the arrival of the Huns, and the history of the Gothic successor states to the western Roman Empire. At its heart lies a new vision of Gothic identity, and of the social caste by whom it was defined and transmitted.

The Franks first come to light in the third century A.D. as a group of barbarians living in the marshy lowlands of the Rhine frontier of the Roman Empire. By 800 they had become the political heirs of the Romans in the West.

This book provides the most comprehensive examination of the Normans available, examining the emergence of the Normans, their characteristics as a group, and their various achievements in war, culture and civilization.

This book examines the history of the Russian peoples from the time of the first inhabitants of "Old Russia", or "Rus", up to the present day.

Since their unexplained appearance in Europe over nine centuries ago, the Gypsies have refused to fall in with conventional settled life. They remain a people whose culture and customs are beset with misunderstanding, and who cling to their distinct identity in the teeth of persistent rejection and pressure to conform. This book describes their history.

A survey of the English experience through a thousand years and more, this book concentrates on the lasting characteristics of a people who early on discovered the fact of a national identity. The outstanding hallmarks of this experience were the existence of a strong central authority (in the monarchy), the provision of a system of law, and with these two the possibility of preserving individual rights and liberties in the face of a long sequence of historical vicissitudes.

For more than a thousand years before the arrival of the Slavs in the sixth century AD, the lands between the Adriatic and the river Danube, now Yugoslavia and Albania, were the home of the peoples known to the ancient world as Illyrians. This book, now available in paperback, draws upon the considerable archaeological evidence that has become available since the Second World War to provide an account of the origins, culture, history and legacy of the Illyrians. John Wilkes describes the geography of Illyria and surveys the region in the prehistoric, Greek, Roman and medieval periods. He discusses Illyrian art, material, culture, religion and customs. A chapter examines the Illyrian language, of which little trace survives, and its connection with other Indo-European languages. Professor Wilkes also scrutinizes the linguistic evidence for the Illyrians' relatedness to other peoples - Thracian, Italic, Greek and Celtic. He concludes with a discussion of a possible survival of an Illyrian native culture in the Roman and Byzantine periods.

This book draws upon a wide range of archaeological and literary material to provide a history of one of the most distinctive and individualistic regions of France and its people, from prehistoric times to the present. Focusing upon such themes as trade, settlement, agriclture, transport, population, religion, art and languages, the authors explore the characteristics of a society which has combined peoples from two different linguistic and cultural traditions in a long-enduring political union.

Winner of the 2006 John D. Criticos PrizeThis book introduces the reader to the complex history, ethnicity, and identity of the Byzantines. This volume brings Byzantium – often misconstrued as a vanished successor to the classical world – to the forefront of European historyDeconstructs stereotypes surrounding ByzantiumBeautifully illustrated with photographs and maps

This sweeping history of the Serbian people starts with the settlement of the Slavs on the Balkan Peninsula in the seventh century and ends with the dissolution of Yugoslavia at the end of the twentieth century. A comprehensive survey of the development of the Serbian nation.Provides the background history of the Serbs, essential to understanding their current situation.Traces the history of the Serbian people from the seventh through to the late twentieth century.Focuses on the process of integration and disintegration which have characterised Serbian history.Pays detailed attention to socio-economic history.

The volume is divided into three parts, corresponding to the three main phases in Gothic history: their early history down to the fourth century, the revolution in Gothic society set in motion by the arrival of the Huns, and the history of the Gothic successor states to the western Roman Empire. At its heart lies a new vision of Gothic identity, and of the social caste by whom it was defined and transmitted.

This book offers a survey of the history and archaeology of the Longobards (known until recently as the Lombards), one of the many barbarian tribes who exploited the collapse of the Roman Empire.

This is a history of the Huns in Europe from their first attacks on the Goths north of the Black Sea to the collapse of their central European empire after the death of the legendary Attila. In the only connected narrative account of the rise and fall of the Huns in English, Professor Thompson reconstructs their campaigns in detail from disparate and often fragmentary sources. In the process, there emerges a clear picture of their dramatic successes, and failures, against the non-Roman peoples of central and eastern Europe, and of their many invasions of the eastern and western halves of the Roman Empire.

This book examines the history of the Russian peoples from the time of the first inhabitants of "Old Russia", or "Rus", up to the present day.

This is a 3000 year history of one of Europe's most fascinating and important peoples.

The Etruscans were the creators of one of the most highly developed cultures of the pre-Roman Mediterranean.

This book provides a fascinating and unique history of the Britons from the late Iron Age to the late Middle Ages. It also discusses the revivals of interest in British culture and myth over the centuries, from Renaissance antiquarians to modern day Druids. A fascinating and unique history of the Britons from the late Iron Age to the late Middle Ages. Describes the life, language and culture of the Britons before, during and after Roman rule. Examines the figures of King Arthur and Merlin and the evolution of a powerful national mythology. Proposes a new theory on the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain and the establishment of separate Brittonic kingdoms. Discusses revivals of interest in British culture and myth, from Renaissance antiquarians to modern day Druids.

The Picts is a survey of the historical and cultural developments in northern Britain between AD 300 and AD 900. Discarding the popular view of the Picts as savages, they are revealed to have been politically successful and culturally adaptive members of the medieval European world.   Re-interprets our definition of ‘Pict’ and provides a vivid depiction of their political and military organizationOffers an up-to-date overview of Pictish life within the environment of northern BritainExplains how art such as the ‘symbol stones’ are historical records as well as evidence of creative inspiration.Draws on a range of transnational and comparative scholarship to place the Picts in their European context

The Vandals is the first book available in the English Language dedicated to exploring the sudden rise and dramatic fall of this complex North African Kingdom.This complete history provides a full account of the Vandals and re-evaluates key aspects of the society including: Political and economic structures  such as the complex foreign policy which combined diplomatic alliances and marriages with brutal raidingThe extraordinary cultural development of secular learning, and the religious struggles that threatened to tear the state apartThe nature of Vandal identity from a social and gender perspective.

For many centuries Germanic peoples occupied much of northern and central Europe. From the fourth century onward migrant groups extended their power and influence over much of western Europe and beyond to North Africa. In so doing, they established enduring states in France, Spain, Italy and Britain. This illustrated book makes use of archaeological and literary sources to outline the ethnogenesis and history of the early Germanic peoples. It provides an overview of current knowledge of these peoples, their social structure, settlements, trade, customs, religion, craftsmanship and relations with the Roman Empire. In this second edition, the author incorporates important new archaeological evidence and reports on advances in historical interpretation. In particular, he offers new insights into developments in central and eastern Europe and the implications for our understanding of migration and settlement patterns, ethnicity and identity. Ten new plates have been added featuring significant new sites discovered in recent years.

The revised second edition of this highly praised introduction to the Mongol Empire takes account of recent scholarship in the field. Provides an overview of the government, religion, and politics of the Mongolian EmpireConsiders the effects of Mongol military campaigns on other countries and peoples in China, Russia, Persia and EuropeAssesses the astonishing military career of Chingiz (Genghis) KhanNow includes a new epilogue assessing the contribution of recent scholarship to our understanding of the Mongols’ historyWell-illustrated by maps and photographs throughout

This history of the Nordic peoples in the period 750-1050 focuses on their homelands and colonies, demonstrating the fluidity and incoherence of the world in which they lived. Considers the Nordic peoples in Viking times without undue recourse to developmental theories.Guides readers through some of the scholarly controversies surrounding these peoples.Illustrated by reference to runic, poetic and archaeological evidence.

This book provides the most comprehensive examination of the Normans available, examining the emergence of the Normans, their characteristics as a group, and their various achievements in war, culture and civilization.

Incorporating the most recent scholarship, this book offers a fascinating history of Rome and the Roman peoples during the rule of the first Roman emperor, Augustus. Written in an easily accessible style, making it the ideal introduction to Augustan Rome for those with little previous knowledgeOffers compelling insight into the workings of Roman society during this pivotal period in its historyIncorporates the most recent scholarship on aspects of Augustus's reign including the armed forces, religion, and intellectual and cultural lifeAndrew Lintott is a widely respected expert on the Roman Republic

The Picts is a survey of the historical and cultural developments in northern Britain between AD 300 and AD 900. Discarding the popular view of the Picts as savages, they are revealed to have been politically successful and culturally adaptive members of the medieval European world.   Re-interprets our definition of ‘Pict’ and provides a vivid depiction of their political and military organizationOffers an up-to-date overview of Pictish life within the environment of northern BritainExplains how art such as the ‘symbol stones’ are historical records as well as evidence of creative inspiration.Draws on a range of transnational and comparative scholarship to place the Picts in their European context

Winner of the 2006 John D. Criticos PrizeThis book introduces the reader to the complex history, ethnicity, and identity of the Byzantines. This volume brings Byzantium – often misconstrued as a vanished successor to the classical world – to the forefront of European historyDeconstructs stereotypes surrounding ByzantiumBeautifully illustrated with photographs and maps