The Kingdom in the Sun 1130–1194 John Julius Norwich 9780571260447 Books
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The Kingdom in the Sun 1130–1194 John Julius Norwich 9780571260447 Books
I agree with two of the other reviewers who comment that this second volume isn't quite as brilliant as the first. But the standard is so high that it's difficult to complain. The writing style alone is difficult to match -- though I am reminded of the best moments of Will Durant in terms of description and worldly wit. The narrative pace is interrupted at times by what some readers might find an overly detailed description of some of the art pictured in the illustrations, but I found it rewarding to linger and learn from an author who has cultivated an appreciation for these little known (to me) masterpieces. And the book is still mostly a wonderful narrative of a fascinating history.Product details
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The Kingdom in the Sun 1130–1194 John Julius Norwich 9780571260447 Books Reviews
The Kingdom in The Sun is an outstanding history book that effectively sorts out how the Normans conquered Sicily. The book is an amazing historical yarn about real people that knits together Norman, German, Italian, French, Byzantine and Papal history. If you have ever wondered why Sicilian history is different, then you should read this book. Also, Sicily was the site of the first the first crusade undertaken to expell muslims from the Christian West. Ironically, this crusade worked and, for a brief time, made Sicily a multicultural kingdom that allowed both Western and Eastern Christians to live with Jews and Muslims.
Having hugely enjoyed the first volume, I approached this one with great anticipation. People I respected as deep readers of history had recommended these books to me for years, even though it covers, well, a pretty obscure chapter of the middle ages.
The story takes up at the moment when Roger II, the son, has been anointed by the Pope as sovereign of Sicily and a large portion of Southern Italy. Roger II earned this as the only major political leader to support the Pope in a divisive schism, for which he was to prove decisively useful in exchange for the legitimacy conferred. As king, it is he who garners the loyalty by feudal oath and contract of the various lords who are installed in the many localities under his nominal control. Though much of his reign is taken up by quelling rebellions on the peninsula (Norman lords wanted more influence than he cared to bestow), Roger II proved himself to be one of the ablest of feudal lords while courageous and willing to use force, he combined that with talents for diplomacy, great attention to administrative detail, a lively intellectual life, and a politician's luck in timing - and knowing when to wait, in particular in defense against Emperors who coveted his lands. As a result, Sicily knew its only truly golden age, emerging as a major power in an era of petty autocracies, evolving empires, and religious strife; it became rich, building a number of architectural masterpieces (e.g. Cefalu cathedral), and tolerant of its many ethnic and religious groupings. Indeed, the way that Roger II balanced the various factions he contended with proves he had a first-rate political mind. As an administrator, he built a secure and prosperous state, with an eye to the long term. Unfortunately, once he was gone, his successors never displayed the combination of skills that Roger II was able to balance. While they could fight, most of them preferred to retreat to the pleasures of the court or their harems, living in luxury and decadence, yet hardly thinking of the future. It took over 50 years, but the Norman state eventually crumbled under their incompetences and the way that the ethnic balance shifted over 100 years (i.e. more Latins at the expense of Greeks and Arabs). That is the essential narrative.
Unfortunately, the coverage of the issues underlying the era is spotty. While inadvertently mentioned in asides, I would have liked much more detail about them. Norwich praises the eclectic culture that emerged with unprecedented tolerance (not a Christian virtue, but learned from the Moslem populations on the island), but I felt very hungry to learn more. I also did not get as good a sense of the political science that was operating during the period, i.e. how the feudal state was supposed to work, what powers the Pope had as spiritual and political overseer, and how the Holy Roman and Byzantine empires were governed, in particular during the Crusades. That was disappointing.
That being said, there is much to learn here - on Feudalism, the Papacy, and royal customs and behavior. I am very glad I read it. Norwich is a truly masterful writer of popular histories. His greatest virtue is that he understands how to approach history as a story and the dazzling personalties of the period, from Eleanor of Acquitaine and Richard the Lion Heart to Barbarossa and countless others. This book reads fluently, quickly, and sustains the reader's interest throughout. However, the analyses that are thrown in are sparse, as are references to culture. Recommended with these caveats.
Well written, good for a non-specialist public, narrated with the typical good humor displayed by other good british historians.
A very hard to find classic!
If compared with the Normans in the South 1016-1130 this is a weaker volume. It isn't about Normans - only about the ruling family, which acts as positive hero. All oponents are necessarily evil. The architecture is other hero of the story. The people, economy and other parts of culture much less.
Still, I would like to read similar book on Sicily under Friedrich, Manfred and even Charles d'Anjou from an author so close to his subject and so well versed in it.
Wonderfully written history about a lesser known Norman Conquest. Completely satisfied with the purchase of this book.
I agree with two of the other reviewers who comment that this second volume isn't quite as brilliant as the first. But the standard is so high that it's difficult to complain. The writing style alone is difficult to match -- though I am reminded of the best moments of Will Durant in terms of description and worldly wit. The narrative pace is interrupted at times by what some readers might find an overly detailed description of some of the art pictured in the illustrations, but I found it rewarding to linger and learn from an author who has cultivated an appreciation for these little known (to me) masterpieces. And the book is still mostly a wonderful narrative of a fascinating history.
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