Manuel II Palaiologos (1350–1425): A Byzantine Emperor in a Time of Tumult

Few Byzantine emperors had a life as rich and as turbulent as Manuel II Palaiologos. A fascinating figure at the crossroads of Byzantine Western European and Ottoman history he endured political turmoil witnessed no less than three sieges by the Ottomans and travelled as far as France and England. He was a prolific writer producing a vast corpus of literary theological and philosophical works. Yet despite his talent Manuel has largely been ignored as an author. This biography constructs an in-depth picture of him of as a ruler author and personality as well as providing insight into his world and times. It offers the first analysis of the emperors complete oeuvre focusing on his literary style self-representation philosophical/theological thought. By focusing not only on political events but also on the personality personal life and literary output of Manuel this biography paints a new portrait of a multifaceted emperor.