Displaying 1 of 1 2005 Format: Book Author: Crowley, Roger, 1951- Title: 1453 : the holy war for Constantinople and the clash of Islam and the West / Roger Crowley. Publisher, Date: New York : Hyperion, 2005. Description: ix, 304 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm Summary: A comprehensive account of the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 examines the end of the Byzantine Empire and the medieval era, and the implications of the siege for the relationship between the West and Islam. Subjects: East and West. Islam and world politics. Istanbul (Turkey) -- History -- Siege, 1453. Istanbul (Turkey) -- History -- Siege, 1453. Genre: History. Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 283-287) and index. Contents: Prologue: The Red Apple -- The Burning Sea -- Dreaming of Istanbul -- Sultan and Emperor -- Cutting the Throat -- The Dark Church -- The Wall and the Gun -- Numerous as the Stars -- The Awful Resurrection Blast -- A Wind from God -- Spirals of Blood -- Terrible Engines -- Omens and Portents -- "Remember the Date" -- The Locked Gates -- A Handful of Dust -- The Present Terror of the World -- Epilogue: Resting Places. Web Site: Table of contents Dickinson Area Public Library Contributor biographical information Dickinson Area Public Library Publisher description Dickinson Area Public Library LCCN: 2005046384 ISBN: 1401301916 9781401301910 OCLC: 58468415 System Availability: 0 # System items in: 0 # Local items: 0 # Local items in: 0 Current Holds: 0 Place Request Add to My List Expand All | Collapse All Availability Large Cover Image Trade Reviews Publishers Weekly ReviewOn May 29, 1453, Ottoman forces, under the leadership of Mehmet II, concluded their long and bloody siege of Constantinople by storming the city and overtaking it. According to Crowley, who works in publishing in England; the Ottoman conquest of the city brought to an end centuries of conflict between the Byzantine Empire and Islam. In overwhelming detail and colorless prose, Crowley chronicles the story of an ancient city and its attraction to members of two major religions. Before Mehmet's conquest, Constantinople had faced various unsuccessful sieges, and Crowley faithfully records them. The most destructive events came between 1341 and 1371, when earthquakes and the Black Death devastated the city, turning it into a forlorn series of villages. Although the Byzantine capital recovered enough of its former glory to entice Mehmet to its walls, even he felt tremendous disappointment, finding the city didn't live up to its reputation. Crowley drones through the day-by-day events of Mehmet's siege and the results of the conquest. Perhaps the author's most instructive point, made by others as well, is that Mehmet turned the city into one where religious toleration and multiculturalism flourished. (Aug. 10) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved Librarian's View Displaying 1 of 1
