The Huns

Written in a very old fashioned scholarly style (1948), this is really a historical textbook and assumes the reader has detailed knowledge of background historical events. If you don't, you'll be lost. Heavily footnoted, which is another distraction. It's hard to get through, but there are kernels of great interest here, with some fascinating details of Roman interactions with the Huns. Who knew?. Too bad this information isn't available in a more readable style.

Great book that provides both the general overview of the Huns with incredible details, all in approachable language

E.A Thompson's book entitled "A History of Attila and the Huns" was first published in 1948. This is a slightly revised version of that same book, with a different title to make it fit into Wiley-Blackwell's "People of Europe" series. Given the original title, the reign of the Attila is the bulk of this book. While I would consider this to be a limitation, it is hardly one that I can fault Thompson for, given the paucity of source material on the Huns around that period. The books starts off with a discussion of those sources, and this is to Thompson's credit, as far too many history books fail to give a discussion of the relevant source material before diving into it. He analyzes the main literary sources and discusses the limitations of archaeological evidence, although in the afterward, Peter Heather suggests that the archaeological understanding of the Huns has advanced since Thompson's day.Thompson takes the reader through a journey of the obscure early days of the Huns, of which very little is known. It is good that he includes some excellent maps to illustrate their early movements, as I suspect most readers will not be familiar with many of the geographical features of Eastern Europe mentioned. The focus from this point on is the relationship between the Huns and the Roman Empire. With careful analysis, Thompson details the events that led up to the rise of Attila, his wars with Rome, the embassy that Priskos participated in, and his eventual fall. The book ends with an afterward by Peter Heather, one of the most renowned historians on the barbarians of the later Roman Empire, which provides a nice supplement. However, it would have been a lot better if Heather had simply edited the text, as currently it forces readers to go through the final section and decide whether they would prefer to believe Thompson or Heather on several issues.Unfortunately, while the book ends with a short description of why the Hun Confederacy was unable to stay together following Attila's death, that is its end. It never goes on to detail the many interactions between small Hun groups and the later Eastern Roman Empire, which is really too bad because Dr. Thompson's insight would certainly have been appreciated given the questionable "Hun" status of many of those groups. I am aware that this is a book focusing on the interactions between Rome and the Huns, but even a paragraph or two on the Huns against the Sassanian Empire would have rounded it out nicely. Additionally, the reason why Attila received the title "Flagellum Dei" and so much notoriety in later European thought is never explained. Thompson also makes a few questionable points, such as the Huns being present at the Battle of Adrianople, and the issue of Attila's strategic competence. There is little information on the former, and Thompson's thesis is nothing more than speculation, whereas for the latter I wonder if perhaps Attila was being driven to maintain the Hun Confederacy the only way he knew, and as such was on the proverbial tiger that he could not get off.This is a good book, although it is dated and should be read critically. Nonetheless, it remains an excellent account of Attila and the Huns, and will probably remain the standard work on the field for some time.

A text, a classic, a most scholarly work; i can hardly pass just judgement upon this book, the less so since i read it really to get an introduction to the Huns, a people of whom i knew next to nothing. Interestingly, it turns out, there is a reason for my ignorance: Not a lot is known, so not a lot could have been taught to me. This text is, according to the Afterword by Peter Heather, who prepared this edition for publication (Thompson originally wrote over fifty years ago), "a, or arguably, the central text shaping argument in the field"; it certainly has all the trappings of a major, authoritative, well prepared opus ~ from copious, referential notes to seven (!) appendices. Let my awe inform you: This is not the work i had hoped for (an introduction to the Huns), but a full-fledged scholar's treatise. Interesting, but on the level of Ibsen (in Norwegian) instead of the expected Wilde. All my surprise and expectations aside, this was an enjoyable read, because Thompson is a good writer. Without a doubt he knows his subject, backwards, forwards, every-other-wards, and more than knows it, he loves it. The Huns have a fascination for him which he is blessed with the ability to pass on to his readers. Normally at this point in the review i would mention anticipating continuing to learn; this time, of course, i have nowhere else to turn. What i do anticipate is reading more about and learning more of the Eastern Empire of the Fifth Century ~ something i currently know next to nothing about. Thompson has whetted my appetite for that knowledge. Also, of course, i would like to read others in the series, The Peoples of Europe, that Heather revised this work for; i should like to read The Picts, The Scots, The Basques, The Franks ~ all of them, in fact.

As a person interested in the history of Turkish people, I really liked this detailed account of Huns - aincient Turkish people. In the fifth century this brave people managed to built a vast empire and received an annual triute from the Roman Empire. It is true that Attila's empire collapsed briefly after his death but the Huns and their empire were the sings of things to come e.g. Seljuks and Osmalni (Ottoman) Turks.

Amazon makes it possible to find a wider range of titles on a given subject that would otherwise be possible. Individual bookshops have a place but virtual catalogues are more comprehensive. Amazon then enables prompt delivery ad good qualty.

E.A Thompson's book entitled "A History of Attila and the Huns" was first published in 1948. This is a slightly revised version of that same book, with a different title to make it fit into Wiley-Blackwell's "People of Europe" series. Given the original title, the reign of the Attila is the bulk of this book. While I would consider this to be a limitation, it is hardly one that I can fault Thompson for, given the paucity of source material on the Huns around that period. The books starts off with a discussion of those sources, and this is to Thompson's credit, as far too many history books fail to give a discussion of the relevant source material before diving into it. He analyzes the main literary sources and discusses the limitations of archaeological evidence, although in the afterward, Peter Heather suggests that the archaeological understanding of the Huns has advanced since Thompson's day.Thompson takes the reader through a journey of the obscure early days of the Huns, of which very little is known. It is good that he includes some excellent maps to illustrate their early movements, as I suspect most readers will not be familiar with many of the geographical features of Eastern Europe mentioned. The focus from this point on is the relationship between the Huns and the Roman Empire. With careful analysis, Thompson details the events that led up to the rise of Attila, his wars with Rome, the embassy that Priskos participated in, and his eventual fall. The book ends with an afterward by Peter Heather, one of the most renowned historians on the barbarians of the later Roman Empire, which provides a nice supplement. However, it would have been a lot better if Heather had simply edited the text, as currently it forces readers to go through the final section and decide whether they would prefer to believe Thompson or Heather on several issues.Unfortunately, while the book ends with a short description of why the Hun Confederacy was unable to stay together following Attila's death, that is its end. It never goes on to detail the many interactions between small Hun groups and the later Eastern Roman Empire, which is really too bad because Dr. Thompson's insight would certainly have been appreciated given the questionable "Hun" status of many of those groups. I am aware that this is a book focusing on the interactions between Rome and the Huns, but even a paragraph or two on the Huns against the Sassanian Empire would have rounded it out nicely. Additionally, the reason why Attila received the title "Flagellum Dei" and so much notoriety in later European thought is never explained. Thompson also makes a few questionable points, such as the Huns being present at the Battle of Adrianople, and the issue of Attila's strategic competence. There is little information on the former, and Thompson's thesis is nothing more than speculation, whereas for the latter I wonder if perhaps Attila was being driven to maintain the Hun Confederacy the only way he knew, and as such was on the proverbial tiger that he could not get off.This is a good book, although it is dated and should be read critically. Nonetheless, it remains an excellent account of Attila and the Huns, and will probably remain the standard work on the field for some time.

Il libro è arrivato in tempi ragionevoli ed in ottimo stato anche se usato non sembrava per nulla di seconda mano