Brubaker (Byzantine art history, U. of Birmingham) and Smith (medieval history, U. of St. Andrews) assemble 16 essays on gender in late Roman society, and Byzantine, Islamic, and western European civilizations during the period of 300 to 900. The international group of scholars discusses government, economy, religion, family life, death and burial, ethnicity, and writing history. Topics encompass dress and masculinity, sexuality, bride shows, slaves in Abbasid society, the harem of al-Muqtadir, women's brooches, patronage, genealogy, the Frankish empress Judith, and Anglo-Saxon burial practices. Some of the essays were given as papers in earlier versions at the Leeds International Medieval Congress in 2000. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)