DOC 1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West by Roger Crowley in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. wonderful objective history of the Battle of ConstantinopleBy lucas devineSo often it's hard; especially in the time period in question and when dealing with conflicts involving major world religions; to find a book that is completely unbiased in it's reporting of the subject matter. This book and this author are the exception to that rule. That to begin with was what I enjoyed about this book. Mr. Crowley's position on the subject at hand is that of objective reporter of historical events. There is no personal or religious/Western bias of any kind (Not that I know anything of his personal beliefs) in this book or any sense that Mr. Crowley belongs to a "side" in the subject matter.As for the subject matter itself; the book starts as a general overview of the emergence of Islam; it's conquest of the Arab world and it's previous conflicts with the Byzantines. It then generally covers the Byzantines history in the area over the previous 400 years and the way thier policies and mutual interactions led up the events to be covered.The bulk of the book is a straight forward military history of the battle and the seige; covering historical documents as well as personal accounts of the battle from individuals who fought it. It covers the blood and guts details that you would expect to find in a medieval battle; detailing atrocieties committed with no attempt to whitewash or excuse; but also no attempt to judge from a modern perspective. All in all; one of the most enjoying and easy to read books I've read in some time.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. exquisite detailBy doc petersonGood history - the engaging; fascintating kind that speaks to the human condition - is most effective with riveting details written in lively prose. Crowley does this in _1453_. While he is not a trained historian; his account of the seige and conquest of Constantinople in the spring of 1453 is vividly written and historically accurate; drawing from the handful of first-hand accounts and a suprising number of academically sound secondary sources.The drama of the event for both the Islamic world and Christendom is clearly presented - the competing theological; political and economic interests that worked against Constantinople as well as the high stakes the Mehmet II made in his attempt to take the city. The see-saw fighting around the city; at sea and even underneath the city walls puts readers right in the action; the desparate attempts by the vastly outnumbered Byzantines (and a handful of Genoese and Venetian allies) to hold the city make for sympathetic underdogs; while Mehmet's brilliant organization; careful planning and relentless drive makes for a compelling protagonist.Crowley's discussion of the larger importance of the ending of the Byzantine empire and the ascendency of the Ottomans is also excellent; pointing out not only the changes in warfare that the seige demonstrated; but also the tipping of the commercial scales farther west to Italy. His discussion of the way in which the historical narrative changed with the occupation was also interesting - the "Turk" as the new bogeyman for Christian Europe; the Ottoman's westward expansion evidence of their place as a great power.It is a tremendous book rich with interesting details of the battle itself and the principle personalities on either side. Highly recommended.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excellent read even; if you are not a history buff!By G. WrightIf you have ever wondered if Rome and the Western Catholic Church has dropped the ball this book will remove all doubt.It was a leisurly read for me as I had to keep a good dictionart and Google Earth close at hand.It was so very worth the trouble. Though it is very readable and I wanted to rush on and find out what happened I took the time ot learn the terms that were not familliar to me. This was a great help in the complete understanding of the history.This book presents an engaging story of suspense and valiant struggle; and yet it is faithful to history and so it is informative as well.