Recently, The Biblio Files posted their literary Christmas wish list.  Anyone who missed that post can view it here.  Their Christmas list made me think about my own book collection.  It is certainly nowhere near as extensive as the Biblio Files’, I'm sure, but it still has a few items I treasure.

Among the volumes I am most proud to own, some definitely stand out.  After my father passed away a few years ago, my siblings were kind enough to let me take ownership of his complete set of Will Durant’s History of Civilization series.  This is one of the great 20^th century historical references, and a work of literary art as well.  Another treasure was given to me by my wife last year as an anniversary present:  Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.  This great work has set the standard for historical writing for over 200 years.

As much as I value these pieces, one other book stands out in my collection.  It is a rather obscure book to most Americans, even to many who, like me, consider themselves students of history, or at least aficionados of historical writing.  That book is History of the Byzantine State, by George Ostrogorsky.  The book was originally written in German, and published in 1940.  The one I have in my collection is the first English edition, translated by J.M. Hussey and published in 1957.

I became intensely interested in Byzantine, or East Roman, history about 20 years ago.  I was intrigued that a classical civilization continued to exist, and at times even thrive, hundreds of years after the fall of Rome, while Western Europe was engulfed in chaos and illiteracy.  It was called the “Dark Ages” for good reason, but a bright light shone for 1000 years along the shore of the Bosporus. 

About 15 or 16 years ago, while browsing a used book store in the unlikely west Texas town of Fort Davis, population 1000, I came across Ostrogorsky’s book.  I was not familiar with the work at the time, but I purchased it nevertheless, since it would be a welcome addition to my small collection of Greek and Byzantine histories.  I later learned this book is considered the best single-volume reference on the Byzantine Empire.  While it emphasizes political and military events, and presents them in chronological order, it does not ignore social, economic, or artistic developments, either. It effectively places those aspects of society in a context that allows the reader to appreciate their impact on the political developments of the time.  To me, that is what makes a great history.  The book's appeal for me is amplified by the fact that I found it in such an unlikely place.  It has been a source of great joy and learning.

So of all the books I own, this has been my favorite.  What is yours?