The Huns

The Huns are notorious for their role in European late antiquity. As a consequence however, their history, culture and impact have all been evaluated largely from a Greco-Roman perspective, rather than as an independent historical entity. This book addresses this imbalance. It approaches the history and culture of the Huns in Europe from an Inner Asian and Eurasian perspective, making both their Inner Asian and European history accessible, and also reveals the Huns'' contribution to European civilisation and statecraft. It is a crucial tool for students and scholars of late antiquity, and makes available eastern sources that may otherwise be out of the reach of classical historians.

This volume is a concise introduction to the history and culture of the Huns. This ancient people had a famous reputation in Eurasian Late Antiquity. However, their history has often been evaluated as a footnote in the histories of the later Roman Empire and early Germanic peoples. Kim addresses this imbalance and challenges the commonly held assumption that the Huns were a savage people who contributed little to world history, examining striking geopolitical changes brought about by the Hunnic expansion over much of continental Eurasia and revealing the Huns'' contribution to European, Iranian, Chinese and Indian civilization and statecraft. By examining Hunnic culture as a Eurasian whole, The Huns provides a full picture of their society which demonstrates that this was a complex group with a wide variety of ethnic and linguistic identities. Making available critical information from both primary and secondary sources regarding the Huns'' Inner Asian origins, which would otherwise be largely unavailable to most English speaking students and Classical scholars, this is a crucial tool for those interested in the study of Eurasian Late Antiquity.