This book is the history of the Eastern Vikings, the Rus and the Varangians, from their earliest mentions in the narrative sources to the late medieval period, when the Eastern Vikings had become stock figures in Old Norse Romances. A comparison is made between sources emanating from different cultures, such as the Roman Empire, the Abbasid Caliphate and its successor states, the early kingdoms of the Rus and the high medieval Scandinavian kingdoms. A key element in the history of the Rus and the Varangians is the fashioning of identities and how different cultures define themselves in comparison and contrast with the other. This book offers a fresh and engaging view of these medieval sources, and a thorough reassessment of established historiographical grand narratives on Scandinavian peoples in the East.

This book examines how the Norsemen came to be drawn into the Imperial service.

VIKING’S HEART Viking warrior and smuggler, Stone Ulfson is a patient man, but even he has limits. When his mate’s father refuses to release her to his care, Stone arranges for the smuggler to lose a shipment and then demands her in exchange for his debts. Telepath Jolie Hall is ready for her life to change. Being given to a Viking isn’t quite what she had in mind, however. She can’t deny she’s drawn to Stone, but can she trust his claim that she is his destined mate? VIKING’S DREAM Charlie Smith has been hiding from her enemies for most of her life. What better way to finally escape them than join her friends and go to the stars with the Varangians? The stars have a few more surprises than she anticipated, however. Archer Bystrom is determined to claim the fascinating Earthling as his own. She’s beautiful, talented, and strong. The perfect mate for a Viking warrior. But with a galaxy wide war brewing will he have time to convince her they belong together? Or will death steal away his chance? VIKING’S AWAKENING Spy. Assassin. Renegade. King. Zane Gray has been a lot of things, but his latest role is one he was born for—warrior-king of the Varangians. But he would give it up in a heartbeat if he could claim another title. Mate. Seer. Telepath. Mystic. Warrior. Gypsy Ulfson has been waiting for Zane for most of her life. Fate chose him to lead her people, and her to stand witness, but that isn’t the only destiny awaiting them. She has to accept him as her mate or risk the galaxy being destroyed, but is it fair to demand so much from a man destiny has already unduly burdened? And how much of her will survive the process?

Anthropologist, archaeologists, and art historians detail their approaches to studying gender in burial practices and in other mortuary contexts. They compare European and American traditions in this field, outline methods for analyzing gender in cultures of varying complexity and with different levels of documentation, and describe some of the successes of such efforts. Consideration is given to the relationships between gender, ideology, power, signification, and the interpretation of evidence. c. Book News Inc.

The late Byzantine period was a time characterized by both civil strife and foreign invasion, framed by two cataclysmic events: the fall of Constantinople to the western Europeans in 1204 and again to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. Mark C. Bartusis here opens an extraordinary window on the Byzantine Empire during its last centuries by providing the first comprehensive treatment of the dying empire's military. Although the Byzantine army was highly visible, it was increasingly ineffective in preventing the incursion of western European crusaders into the Aegean, the advance of the Ottoman Turks into Europe, and the slow decline and eventual fall of the thousand-year Byzantine Empire. Using all the available Greek, western European, Slavic, and Turkish sources, Bartusis describes the evolution of the army both as an institution and as an instrument of imperial policy. He considers the army's size, organization, administration, and the varieties of soldiers, and he examines Byzantine feudalism and the army's impact on society and the economy. In its extensive use of soldier companies composed of foreign mercenaries, the Byzantine army had many parallels with those of western Europe; in the final analysis, Bartusis contends, the death of Byzantium was attributable more to a shrinking fiscal base than to any lack of creative military thinking on the part of its leaders.

War in Eleventh-Century Byzantium presents new insights and critical approaches to warfare between the Byzantine Empire and its neighbours during the eleventh century. Modern historians have identified the eleventh century as a landmark era in Byzantine history. This was a period of invasions, political tumult, financial crisis and social disruption, but it was also a time of cultural and intellectual innovation and achievement. Despite this, the subject of warfare during this period remains underexplored. Addressing an important gap in the historiography of Byzantium, the volume argues that the eleventh century was a period of important geo-political change, when the Byzantine Empire was attacked on all sides, and its frontiers were breached. This book is valuable reading for scholars and students interested in Byzantium history and military history.