Lawyer here with a relatively advanced background in history and historical research (for a non-historian). I typically am interested only in events in the Western Hemisphere from the 18th century onward, but I find myself more and more interested in medieval European history.
I have a fair amount of comfort reading very narrow histories as well as broader overviews, but I want to really get at the heart of the Eastern Roman Empire in one book. It should be a modern (at least relatively up-to-date) history work, preferably by a scholar, not a popular historian, although if aimed at a general audience, that may be for the best.
So feel free to let me know what book I should read, and why. I appreciate all of your help!
Byzantium by Judith Herrin is extensive yet accessible. She is a professional archaeologist and an academic. The book is a rung on the ladder above pure popular history but is still readable if you have little background info on Byzantium. It is also a broad overview encompassing the entire span of the Empire.
I also recommend Lars Brownworth's 12 Byzantine Rulers podcast for a first contact with Byzantium. This is less academic and more popular history than Herrin's book, but is very well researched and also covers the entire span of Byzantine history from its Roman roots to its fall.
For just one book, John Julius Norwich's A Short History of Byzantium is excellent, but if you really want to dive deep, read his three volume work Byzantium. Fair warning: it is not light reading.