About: A History of Venice

A History of Venice is a 1982 book by the English popular historian John Julius Norwich published in the United States by Vintage Books. It is a combination of two volumes, published in England by Allen Lane in 1977 and 1981. It was published after Norwich had published two volumes on the Normans in southern Italy, and was followed by a three volume history on the Byzantine Empire. There is a fair amount of overlap between these subjects, with the Normans and Byzantine figures appearing in Venetian history. The Venetians, in turn, were important players in the sacking of Constantinople in the fourth crusade, and carrying off booty which was used to decorate St. Mark's Cathedral.