[1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West] [By: Crowley, Roger] [August, 2006]

Rare case when you actually glimpse the wheels of history turn. The best siege story I've ever read. Fascinating reading.

Great picture of a dramatic turn in the medieval history. A bit lengthy in some parts but eventually clear why. Loads to say to paint the picture well. Been to Istanbul several times and could link places in the story easily. I deeply recommend the book to both, these interested in the medieval history and those planning to visit Istanbul!

This was great! While on the short side (about 300 pages), so there was not much room to delve into all the nuances of history, religion, politics and economics, I think Roger Crowley still did a great job, giving us a detailed overview and definitely helping me to put all the events, backdrops, consequences into perspective.I also found the storytelling nicely balanced, strong points and weaknesses were all listed: the author gave appreciation for both sides when deserved and did not shy away from telling us about the atrocities of all.The sequence of battles is presented in a very exciting way, with the tactics/strategy and possible mindset of attackers and defenders. There is heroism, cunning, betrayal, determination, fear and petty squabbles. There is cruelty and desperation and awfully high stakes on both sides.Will certainly check out other books of his.Good narration by Simon Prebble.

DNFI was able to read completely only the first two chapters. They include a total chaos of dry terms, names and dates without background research and explanation. The author is clearly biased and this is painfully obvious in the descriptions. He considers the inhabitants of Constantinople as decadent and superstitious. The Turks are strong and just. Well, such bold statements without the proper grounds are just misleading and populist. The reflect a personal bias, not systematic analysis. Pity. The topic was promising.

Sabem aquele rápido capítulo nos livros de História sobre a queda de Constantinopla? Este é o livro que transforma cada linha desse capítulo em cinco páginas, e conta, dia a dia, às vezes hora a hora, o que aconteceu entre abril e maio de 1453, na condenada cidade. Cada batalha, cada escaramuça, cada manobra, é esmiuçada, e cada ordem minimamente importante é relatada. Canhões são construídos, carregados, apontados, disparados, e destruídos, e todas essas etapas são descritas com detalhes.O autor usa uma linguagem de romance de aventura, o que torna a jornada mais emocionante, mas ainda assim ela é longa.Porém, se o objetivo é saber basicamente tudo sobre o assunto, inclusive o antes e o depois, esse é o livro.Vale a dedicação!

This is a remarkably interesting and flowing account of a turning point in history. Much care was taken in recreating the atmospheres in all the camps-Greek Byzantine, European Catholic, Turkish Muslim. You could feel the intensity of the battles and the tensions of the siege through the emphasis on visual and audio references. I wonder if Tolkien or Peter Jackson were inspired by the taking of Constantinople when they wrote and filmed the battle for Minas Tirith.