Istanbul: The Imperial City
by John Freely
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Book Summary Information
Author: John FreelyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1998-07-01
ISBN: 0140244611
Number of pages: 432
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Reviews of Istanbul: The Imperial City
Book Review: A Great Introduction
Summary: 5 Stars
"Istanbul" is a wonderful introduction to a fabulous city. An easy read, it follows the trajectory of the city's fabled history in a smooth chronological rhythm with each period captured in quickie chapters of fifteen pages. It works as an introductory history with 300 pages of chronology, and it works as a travel guide with 60 cross-referenced pages on monuments and museums. A great primer for anyone planning a trip to the city and interested in its history, presented in a readable format somewhere between quick overview and master's degree. The city maps in the early pages are excellently designed, and frequent illustrations are used to good effect. Nevertheless, while the brevity of the chronology makes it an easy read, it also precludes the development of any real historical themes. There is no deep thought here, no new views or insightful analysis, and after several dozen emperors and sultans emerge and die in repetitive procession, they begin to blur a bit one into the next. While the birth and paroxysms of the Ottoman Empire are well-presented from Istanbul's perspective, this reader could have used a few maps of southeast Europe and the Levant to better understand the empire's development. At the same time, events in Istanbul are not presented in the context of contemporary European events. While this certainly helps to keep the chapters quick and readable, it also ignores the huge impact of European events on Istanbul: the Great Schism and massive changes in Rome, conflicts with Austro-Hungary, the crusades, etc. are simply not presented even to frame events in Istanbul. The history and research are excellent (with one tiny quibble: the battle of Kosovo Polje occurred on June 28, not June 15) but broad rather than deep. Freely is clearly at home in the city and with the source material. A great travel guide and quickie history, readable and accessible.
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