Walter Pohl, The Avars: A Steppe Empire in Central Europe, 567–822. Ithaca, NY, and London: Cornell University Press, 2018, xxiii, 636 pp., 4 maps.
Albrecht Classen
Even though this is not a new publication, Pohl’s study on the Avars deserves particular attention, now in its first English translation. While identified cover page, book was superbly translated into by Will Sayers, who briefly mentioned preface. Pohl had published his originally German 1988, and it appeared third edition 2015. Only last few decades has our awareness understanding of grown changed, particularly because intensive archaeological evidence vastly changed concept that Steppe people lived Carpathian Basin long before Magyars settled there. Consequently, made great efforts to reflect insights rewrote respective sections book. In short, although here we hold hands ‘only’ translation edition, The represents, after all, approach thorough update current research significant influence Byzantines, Germanic peoples west southwest, north east. They were introduce Europe stirrup, but they left practically no written sources. Nomadic people, yet simply barbarians, as later chroniclers liked call them. Hence, early medieval sheds important light political military structure an area where Byzantine sphere interest ended Carolingians endeavored place their stakes.
Mediävistik