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A review by pamela22
Ghost Empire: A Journey to the Legendary Constantinople by Richard Fidler
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
What an interesting read. I recently read, and loved Cloud Cuckoo Land which is partly set in ancient Constantinople just prior to its fall to the Muslims. This novel explored this event in the microcosm which I really enjoyed but it left me hungering for the macro cosmic which in turn led me to Fidler’s text.
It took me right back and led me through the Roman Empire right up to its fall. Fascinating and I know snippets like the origins of Venice, chess and our numerical system (the Arabs adopted it from India).
This text wraps inserts from contemporary Instanbul and his travels with his son in between meaty slabs of the past.
It took me right back and led me through the Roman Empire right up to its fall. Fascinating and I know snippets like the origins of Venice, chess and our numerical system (the Arabs adopted it from India).
This text wraps inserts from contemporary Instanbul and his travels with his son in between meaty slabs of the past.