1453: The Holy War For Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West
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ISBN-10: 1-4013-0191-6
ISBN-13: 9781401301910
Publisher: Hyperion
Country:
Year: August 10, 2005
Size: 15.75 x 23.62 x 2.54cm
Number of pages: 320
Weight: 567gr
Binding: Hardcover
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Roger Crowley
Hyperion; 2006
Paperback
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description
A complete and compelling account of the fall of Constantinople, the siege that gave rise to today's jihad.
When Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, a remarkable era in world history ended. Constantinople, the »city of the world's desire,« was a wealthy, imperial, intimidating, and Christian city, influencing world opinion for a thousand years. The fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Byzantium Empire and the end of the medieval era. Thereafter, two worlds would rise –- that of the West and that of the Middle East.
1453 is brought to life by the stories of its two ambitious battling leaders-Mehmed II, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and Constantine XI, the 57th emperor of Byzantium. It is a vivid, intense tale of courage and cruelty, of technological ingenuity, of endurance and luck. Impeccably researched and told as a real-life adventure, the book explores the issues that led up to and resulted from the fall of Constantinople in a way that is easily grasped and jumps from the pages into the headlines of world news. 1453 is the story of a moment of change that has new relevance today –- a crucial link in the chain of events that besets the modern world.
reviews
The book discusses with a great detail the turkish military campaign against Constantinople. Furthermore, the author provides a quasi- psychological profile of S. Mehemet. But the book does not provide a socio-political research of the events that have preceded the Fall of Constantinople and it doesn't discuss the aftermath of this major event. I have expected a clear discussion of the implications of the city's downfall; something similar to The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order The author attempt to create a balanced picture of the event is irrelevant, albeit the result of the turkish occupation of Constantinople, according to the book, is that they all »lived happily ever after«, the attack of an army of 150,000-200,000 strong against the impoverished city that had a defense of 7000 strong had fatal consequences that affected not only the fate of Byzantines but also the fate of Europe.
The Fall of Constantinople was a watershed mark in history and Roger Crowley does an excellent job in retelling the story. Accordingly,many past and modern versions of the fall of Constantinople are deeply intermingled with both myth and religious narrative; narratives that blend what actually happened with notions of perception and what they believe may have happened. According to the author, (in his notes about the sources), his aim in retelling the tale of Constantinople has been to construct out of the various conflicts of blame, agenda, and religion, a robust central version of events. He does an admirable job of presenting a very objective story as told from both victor and vanquished. This is an excellent book that is very readable and paints a very vivid word picture of the events, actions and actors. Dr. Terry Tucker, Adjunct Prof History
Can't give a persona; opinion because it ws purchased aas a gift for my son. However, he is enjoying it very much. It was in excellent condition.
What? No reviews since 2005???!!! You've got to be kidding me! This was by far one of the best history books I have ever read. The author manages to recreate the events leading up to the siege and the siege itself, with accuracy and passion. Reading the book truly felt like being there! A few times, as I was reading it, I put the book down, overwhelmed by sadness about the desperate ploy of the defenders of Constantinople: it was like watching the Alamo with John Wayne, or reading about the destruction of the German forces at Stalingrad. The Greek emperor Constantine XI shines as a genuine hero, just like several Italian leaders (from Genoa and Venice) in charge of the city's defense. I cannot wait to read Crowley's new book!!!
The book is very well researched and practically reads like a novel, with varying descriptions of both sides of the engagement, as well as historical perspectives and analysis of events that led to the battle. My only complaint is that it felt too short, though that may be because it read so well. At only a few hundred pages, I'm sure much more could have been added to the narrative, but the preciseness of the book made it that much better. Very well done.
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