The Muslims WERE the story for quite some time. Never read this book, but sometimes reading from the other point of view helps you to understand the mind set. I would be interested in your thoughts on the book.
I haven’t read the book, just some reviews.
For the period of the book, I think the Turks were the prime mover, first moving in on the traditional Muslim realms, then beating the Byzantines at Manzikert in 1071 and rolling over Anatolia and Palestine.
This triggered the Crusades, which brought western Europeans into the eastern Mediterranean, and helped the Byzantines recover part of Anatolia. Then throughout the 12th century the Byzantines made a comeback, under the Comneni emperors.
Regarding the Normans in the Mediterranean, I think of the threat they posed to the Byzantine Empire. Then I think of their quarrels with the papacy.
The book under discussion seems to focus on particular outstanding individuals as mirrors of the various forces of the time.
My primary takeaway from the period is this: the Byzantine Empire went from overwhelming strength in 1025 AD, to disaster in 1071 at Manzikert, because they neglected their defenses, due to irresponsibility and political maneuvering in Constantinople.
Even though the 12the century was a great comeback for the Byzantines, they never could fully recover from Manzikert.