Byzantine Soldier vs Seljuk Warrior: Manzikert to Myriokephalon, 1071-1176

by Si Sheppard, Giuseppe Rava (Illustrator)

Overview

This colourful study investigates the Byzantine and Seljuk forces that fought in a series of battles with profound implications for the Middle East during the 11th and 12th centuries.

The Byzantine defeat at Manzikert in one of history's pivotal battles resulted in the victorious Seljuk Turks pushing west to the Bosporus. Byzantine appeals for aid sparked the First Crusade, as the Byzantines and Seljuks continued to fight their own private war for control of the Anatolian peninsula (present-day Turkey).

In this account, Si Sheppard examines the fighting men on both sides of this critical struggle, as the Byzantine armies stabilized their Empire's eastern frontier, reclaiming control over the coastline, while the Seljuk forces tightened their grip in its interior. Placing the two sides' struggle in the wider political and military context, he shows how this war of raid and counter-raid periodically flared up into full scale military commitments by both sides; the outcome of this stand-off hung in the balance, hinging on one wrong move, one decisive victory.

Incorporating carefully chosen photographs, specially drawn maps and vivid original artwork, this book also analyses the battles of Manzikert (1071), Philomelion (1116) and Myriokephalon (1176), three decisive encounters that determined not just the ultimate fate of the Anatolian peninsula, but the Levant to its east and Balkans to its west for centuries to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472864987
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	02/24/2026
Series:	Combat , #84
Pages:	80
Product dimensions:	7.24(w) x 9.76(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

London-born Si Sheppard completed his Bachelors and Masters degrees in New Zealand before receiving his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University in the United States. He is currently an associate professor of political science and international relations at Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York, and has written several titles for Osprey focusing on the interrelationship between geography, technology, and strategy.

Giuseppe Rava was born in Faenza in 1963, and took an interest in all things military from an early age. Entirely self-taught, Giuseppe has established himself as a leading military history artist, and is inspired by the works of the great military artists, such as Detaille, Meissonier, Röchling, Lady Butler, Ottenfeld and Angus McBride. He lives and works in Italy.

Table of Contents

[subject to confirmation]

Introduction

The Opposing Sides

Manzikert, 26 August 1071

Philomelion, Autumn 1116

Myriokephalon, 17 September 1176

Analysis

Aftermath

Bibliography

Index