In this book Dr. Harvey shows that if we broaden our comprehension of feudalism, the economic developments of the Byzantine empire and the medieval West were far more comparable than Byzantine historians have been prepared to admit. Previous interpretations have linked economic trends too closely to the political fortunes of the state, and have consequently regarded the twelfth century as a period of economic stagnation. Yet there is considerable evidence that during this period, the empire's population expanded, agricultural production intensified, coinage in circulation increased, and towns revived. Dr. Harvey's conclusions will affect all future interpretations of the general course of Byzantine history. and call for a reassessment of the whole nature and social structure of the Byzantine economy.