Dan H. (dannyfiasco) reviewed 1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I found this to be an excellent historical book on the fall of Constantinople. I failed to see the bias towards Muslims that this book had allegedly portrayed-- maybe because I wasn't looking for it. It starts slow, but once you get to the siege, it is a lot more entertaining, for obvious reason. Unfortunately, the book also ends slow, as there is quite a few pages written on the aftermath. Overall, I thought it was a fabulous book worth of anyone's self.
Doug F. (DougFranzen) reviewed 1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West on
Helpful Score: 2
A little tough going at first, but mostly because I am not familiar with 1) the geography of the Middle East (there are 2 maps in the front of the book and I used Google Earth a lot until I got my bearings...) and 2) the time period in which the book was written. I think the author makes a few assumptions about his readers.
However, once I got going, I found it to be a very enjoyable read! The author does a great job piecing a lot of primary source material into a coherent and readable story. In the afterword he discusses some of the variations in the story and admits he chose certain versions to make for a better story - without diluting the main text down by offering up or discussing these variations within the main text.
Overall, a good read. If you're interested in the history of conflict in the Middle East, or military history, or want to learn a little more about the crusades/middle ages/rise of the Ottoman Empire, I'd recommend this book.
However, once I got going, I found it to be a very enjoyable read! The author does a great job piecing a lot of primary source material into a coherent and readable story. In the afterword he discusses some of the variations in the story and admits he chose certain versions to make for a better story - without diluting the main text down by offering up or discussing these variations within the main text.
Overall, a good read. If you're interested in the history of conflict in the Middle East, or military history, or want to learn a little more about the crusades/middle ages/rise of the Ottoman Empire, I'd recommend this book.
