Constantinople: The Last Great Siege, 1453

I found this to be a gripping and informative narrative of the climatic end of the Byzantine polity, with its particular virtue is that it gives equal time to the stresses and strains in the camps of both Constantine XI and Mehmet II. Though a popular account I'm impressed that Crowley seems to have made quite a complete survey of the first-person accounts of the siege, and and makes intelligent comments on their limitations. As for the complaints that I can find regarding the book, these seem to essentially be that this is not Stephen Runciman's study of the event (which is forty years old) or not anti-Muslim enough, which is sort of missing the point of telling a balanced narrative. Particularly since it's not as though Crowley stints show more on examples of Mehmet's ruthlessness. show less

This is my third Crowley book and least favorite, even though it's his most popular (by LibraryThing ownership stats) and his first book. Still, it is informative and entertaining. Chronologically it falls somewhere between City of Fortune and Empires of the Sea, it would be good to read them in order as it gives broader historical context. This book is focused on a single event, the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, which is truly seismic as it kicked off centuries of conflict between Europe and the Ottoman Turks; and shifted European attention away from the east and outward into the Atlantic. Stories about Medieval sieges are like dramatic genre novels, if you read enough of them they often follow similar scripts and events. This is the show more mother of sieges in sheer scale - of the walls, numbers of combatants, the size of the weapons, the stakes (real and figurative). I'm glad to have read about it in more detail as it's one of those things you can't avoid, it is one of the core markers of the end of the Middle Ages and start of the Early Modern period. show less

Roger Crowley's pageturner gets good mileage out of presenting the fall of Constantinople as a decisive and open moment. In reality, it was not a "clash of Islam and the West", as the West chose not to involve itself for the leftover city of the Byzantine Empire. All the surrounding areas had already been gobbled up by the Ottoman Empire. Similar to Monty Python's black knight unwilling to admit defeat, the Byzantine ruling class decided to go down fighting instead of adopting the pragmatic solution of the hard-nosed Genoese who observed the siege in safety across the Golden Horn.

Minus the fake clash of civilizations bit (much cherished by conservatives everywhere), Crowley's account is a quick and enjoyable read.

To be honest, I had hoped for more than just the tale of the fall of Constantinople. For example, I had read somewhere that it was because of the fall of the 'Eastern Rome' (Constantinople) that Ptolemy's lost Geographia had been re-found to the West. This geography, written by Ptolemy in the 1-2C AD using 8,000 known geographic points was instrumental in helping Europe launch its cceanic explorations that eventually led to the rounding of the Cape of Good Hope in 1488 and Vasco de Gama's landing in Calicut 10 years later. But there was no mention of the map or where it might have been stored, or smuggled or rescued from the city, if the story is even true. Nor were there any other ties to broader topics aside from a half-page of how show more the invention of the printing press helped fan the flame of European Xenophobia. So if you are looking for more than the day-by-day story of the siege of Constantinople--riveting as it is--this isn't the book. On the other hand, it's a ripping good story full of bloodshed and brave deeds, and a fast (especially if you skip all the repetitive bits) and easy read, so if you were asleep in World History, this is an easy way to fill in the gap. show less

For 50+ days, Constantinople defended itself and its 1200+ years of history as the eastern-most bastion of Christendom against the Turkish Ottomans’ assault. This is a very detailed account of the siege and battle, and some of the aftermath. Sultan Mehmet was only 21 when he felled the city that had withstood many previous attempts. I suspect age aided his endurance. But he was also a young military genius and had extraordinary control of the men who fought his battles, both by use of carrot (you get to plunder the city) and stick (you will die a lingering death if you fail to fight). The author writes in never boring detail, but it is a slow, monotonous read—the nature of a siege. The atrocious killing, taking of slaves, and show more plunder—the author is quick to note—was common at the time, regardless of creed or religion. I strongly recommend the book and its evenhandedness in its telling. show less

Thrilling account of the inevitable fall of Constantinople. The battle is described in vivid detail,like a scene from The Lord of the Ring II. Yet the author doesn't get carried away with Greek irredentism or military minutiae, but also covers the emotional states of the various parties involved in the siege, from the Emperor and Sultan down to the soldiers and people in the City. I got totally immersed by the suspense of it all, and though I know the history of Istanbul, in between reads I found myself wondering what would happen next and how it would end; that's how freshly it is told. Highly recommended.

Roger Crowley weaves together a brilliant history of Mehmet II’s siege of Constantinople in 1453. Much of his prose is worthy of the best novel writers. To some, the book may be slanted toward a particular side of the battle, but the work is for most part balanced in its portrayal of both the besieging Ottomans and the beseiged defenders. The back-and-forth struggle for supremacy is extremely compelling. It is books such as this that can make history exciting for those who think it too dry. An excellent read.