John Robb linked to this short Edward Luttwak piece (he has a book out on the subject as well):

http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/20...-byzantium-do/

Agreed with the central thesis:

Unlike the Romans, the Byzantines wrote official guidebooks on statecraft, foreign relations and espionage: writings I find especially fascinating, as I once helped compose the main field manual of the US army. These ancient techniques centred on a single, paradoxical principle: do everything possible to raise, equip and train the best possible army and navy; then do everything possible to use them as little as possible.