Good summary of the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 for young people. An English boy in Constantinople is close to Emperor Constantine and his court. He witnesses the loss of the city to the Ottomans. I was going to buy it as a gift for a grandson but it gets too sad. ( )

It's interesting, well-written, plausible - and somehow never manages to catch me up in the story. I never felt much for (let alone identified with) the boy who's the viewpoint character - never got caught up in the city's danger. In fact as I was reading the part with the Sultan's demands I was remembering Pagan - that couple of chapters had more impact than this entire book. It's nice to read, and an interesting view of a time I know little about, but not particularly memorable. ( )