07-25-2007, 07:47 PM
Hi Martin,
I'd like to add a little bit to your review, as I've been there and I'm in the process of reading the book.
So, let's put it that way: a book that's livin' up to what it's promotion slogans claim ?!
You bet !
So while it's pretty obvious as to why every "roman afficionado" should have his own piece of the "Constantine The Great" Catalogue or the Colloquial Book that's additionally available.
Even Dr. Grünewald's book about the roman graves that accompanies the "Die ersten Römer in Rheinhessen" exhibition are of a certain use to the above-average "afficionado".
But why should a book about the famed leader of the Huns ( no, not Emperor William II, dear Brits, I'm talking 'bout the Original, Attila !)
raise a bit more interest amongst the folks participating in in that forum ?
1. It's the language :wink: --- no I'm kiddin' a bit here, but it's written in German, not in Dutch . ( Dutchmen-- tick the appropriate, please !:
lol: / :wink: / 
hock: / :oops: / 
roll: / :x )
No, ---- but really ---
1. It' s the CONTENTS ( O.K. , WHAT else ?! :wink: ):
VERY roughly translated:
-- After the introductionary words a extensive timetable:
The Introductionary (basic ?) Essays:
-- The Steppe as cultural and natural environment of nomad
-- Hunnic history after 375
-- Attila as a historic person
The Huns between Europe and Asia
-- Archeological traces of the Xiongnu
-- The huns in the north Caucasian area
-- Huns and Germans on the lower Danube
-- Eastern Germans in the middle and lower danubian area - The hunnic reign
-- Attila's kingdom and the germanic gentes in the middle danubian area
-- The Upper Rhine Valley between Strassbourg and Bingen during the 5th Century - Historical tradition and archaelogical evidence
-- Eastern elements amongst the finds of the 5th Century from the
right-bank area of Speyer.
-- Hunnic evidence in Xinjiang. Reflections on european-asian cultural exchange at the turn towards the middle ages.
Main Points of Research in History and Culture of the Huns
-- Continuity and discontinuity at the transition from late antiquity to the middle ages.
-- The Cernjachov culture of the Black Sea area after the hunnic Invasion
-- Early hunnic settlements between th eastern Carpathians and the Dnjestr.
-- Indications to contacs between the hunnic area of reign in south-eastern Europe and the North.
-- Byzantium And The Huns
-- The Late Roman Army
-- Late Roman frontier fortresses on the middle and lower Danube in the light of east-germanic and equestrian-nomadic finds.
-- The equestrian-nomadic warrior.
-- Entrusted to the earth. Depot-finds from the zone of the hunnic community of nations
-- A germanic female funeral from the legionary fortress of Turda, Romania.
-- Spangenhelme
-- On burial rites of the huns
-- Principal finds of the hunnic era from Szeged-Nagyszeksos, Hungary
-- Facial depictions in the equestrian nomad environment
-- On artificial formations of skulls
-- Alanic catacomb tombs in the northern caucasian area.
A contribution on nomadic burial rites
-- Excursion: Hunnic kettles
-- Map: Distribution of hunnic kettles
-- A principal tomb from the times of the huns in the caucasian area.
(Kurgan 2 from the burial field of Brut)
-- Ardarich and the Gepides
-- Huns vs. Bugunadians - Revenge or Fate ??
-- Thuringians and Huns
Reception:
-- The weeping king and his vanishing into the darkness of oblivion
( King Etzel in the Song of the Niblungs and the Lament)
-- Attila in the older nordic poetry
-- The virgin and the King of the Huns. Attila in the Legend of Ursula.
Appendix
Hunnic kings/glossary/list of literature/list of abbreviations/authors/list of lenders/crossreference of depictions
--O.K. ?! I think THIS speaks for itself. And if not:
The essays on the upper rhine valley in the 5th century was written by Helmut Bernhard, one of the men who dug out Tabernae, the burgi od Ungstein and Eisenberg and the late roman houses at Speyer.
The essay on the late roman army was written by Jürgen Oldenstein.
Both are amongst the best introductions to the subjects that I've ever read.
2. The Appearance :
Good photographs, precisely arranged within the text.
BTW: all the exhibits there that were needed to clarify the subjects and topics.
The essays have been thoughtfully arranged.
My congrats to the makers/compilers and the likes !
Zero , yes, I repeat ZERO misspellings/misprints/false facts in the book.
(I've seen catalogues much worse in that aspect -- and from the same publisher !)
3. The stature/summary :
As an introduction to the history and culture of the huns as such, equestrain nomads in general and the era of late antiquity not only on the Balcan and even as a supplement to Istvan Bona's "The Realm Of The Huns/ Das Hunnenreich/A hunok és nagykiráliaik" it is a real good buy, if I may say so.
That's all for now.
Greez
Siggi K.
I'd like to add a little bit to your review, as I've been there and I'm in the process of reading the book.
So, let's put it that way: a book that's livin' up to what it's promotion slogans claim ?!
You bet !
So while it's pretty obvious as to why every "roman afficionado" should have his own piece of the "Constantine The Great" Catalogue or the Colloquial Book that's additionally available.
Even Dr. Grünewald's book about the roman graves that accompanies the "Die ersten Römer in Rheinhessen" exhibition are of a certain use to the above-average "afficionado".
But why should a book about the famed leader of the Huns ( no, not Emperor William II, dear Brits, I'm talking 'bout the Original, Attila !)
raise a bit more interest amongst the folks participating in in that forum ?
1. It's the language :wink: --- no I'm kiddin' a bit here, but it's written in German, not in Dutch . ( Dutchmen-- tick the appropriate, please !:
lol: / :wink: / hock: / :oops: / roll: / :x ) No, ---- but really ---
1. It' s the CONTENTS ( O.K. , WHAT else ?! :wink: ):
VERY roughly translated:
-- After the introductionary words a extensive timetable:
The Introductionary (basic ?) Essays:
-- The Steppe as cultural and natural environment of nomad
-- Hunnic history after 375
-- Attila as a historic person
The Huns between Europe and Asia
-- Archeological traces of the Xiongnu
-- The huns in the north Caucasian area
-- Huns and Germans on the lower Danube
-- Eastern Germans in the middle and lower danubian area - The hunnic reign
-- Attila's kingdom and the germanic gentes in the middle danubian area
-- The Upper Rhine Valley between Strassbourg and Bingen during the 5th Century - Historical tradition and archaelogical evidence
-- Eastern elements amongst the finds of the 5th Century from the
right-bank area of Speyer.
-- Hunnic evidence in Xinjiang. Reflections on european-asian cultural exchange at the turn towards the middle ages.
Main Points of Research in History and Culture of the Huns
-- Continuity and discontinuity at the transition from late antiquity to the middle ages.
-- The Cernjachov culture of the Black Sea area after the hunnic Invasion
-- Early hunnic settlements between th eastern Carpathians and the Dnjestr.
-- Indications to contacs between the hunnic area of reign in south-eastern Europe and the North.
-- Byzantium And The Huns
-- The Late Roman Army
-- Late Roman frontier fortresses on the middle and lower Danube in the light of east-germanic and equestrian-nomadic finds.
-- The equestrian-nomadic warrior.
-- Entrusted to the earth. Depot-finds from the zone of the hunnic community of nations
-- A germanic female funeral from the legionary fortress of Turda, Romania.
-- Spangenhelme
-- On burial rites of the huns
-- Principal finds of the hunnic era from Szeged-Nagyszeksos, Hungary
-- Facial depictions in the equestrian nomad environment
-- On artificial formations of skulls
-- Alanic catacomb tombs in the northern caucasian area.
A contribution on nomadic burial rites
-- Excursion: Hunnic kettles
-- Map: Distribution of hunnic kettles
-- A principal tomb from the times of the huns in the caucasian area.
(Kurgan 2 from the burial field of Brut)
-- Ardarich and the Gepides
-- Huns vs. Bugunadians - Revenge or Fate ??
-- Thuringians and Huns
Reception:
-- The weeping king and his vanishing into the darkness of oblivion
( King Etzel in the Song of the Niblungs and the Lament)
-- Attila in the older nordic poetry
-- The virgin and the King of the Huns. Attila in the Legend of Ursula.
Appendix
Hunnic kings/glossary/list of literature/list of abbreviations/authors/list of lenders/crossreference of depictions
--O.K. ?! I think THIS speaks for itself. And if not:
The essays on the upper rhine valley in the 5th century was written by Helmut Bernhard, one of the men who dug out Tabernae, the burgi od Ungstein and Eisenberg and the late roman houses at Speyer.
The essay on the late roman army was written by Jürgen Oldenstein.
Both are amongst the best introductions to the subjects that I've ever read.
2. The Appearance :
Good photographs, precisely arranged within the text.
BTW: all the exhibits there that were needed to clarify the subjects and topics.
The essays have been thoughtfully arranged.
My congrats to the makers/compilers and the likes !
Zero , yes, I repeat ZERO misspellings/misprints/false facts in the book.
(I've seen catalogues much worse in that aspect -- and from the same publisher !)
3. The stature/summary :
As an introduction to the history and culture of the huns as such, equestrain nomads in general and the era of late antiquity not only on the Balcan and even as a supplement to Istvan Bona's "The Realm Of The Huns/ Das Hunnenreich/A hunok és nagykiráliaik" it is a real good buy, if I may say so.
That's all for now.
Greez
Siggi K.
Siggi K.
