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The Fall of Constantinople: The Ottoman Conquest of Byzantium
Byzantium was the last bastion of the Roman Empire following the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It fought for survival for eight centuries until, in the mid-15th century, the emperor Constantine XI ruled just a handful of whittled down territories, an empire in name and tradition only.
This lavishly illustrated book chronicles the history of Byzantium, the evolution of the defenses of Constantinople and the epic siege of the city, which saw a force of 80,000 men repelled by a small group of determined defenders until the Turks smashed the city's protective walls with artillery. Regarded by some as the tragic end of the Roman Empire, and by others as the belated suppression of an aging relic by an ambitious young state, the impact of the capitulation of the city resonated through the centuries and heralded the rapid rise of the Islamic Ottoman Empire.
This lavishly illustrated book chronicles the history of Byzantium, the evolution of the defenses of Constantinople and the epic siege of the city, which saw a force of 80,000 men repelled by a small group of determined defenders until the Turks smashed the city's protective walls with artillery. Regarded by some as the tragic end of the Roman Empire, and by others as the belated suppression of an aging relic by an ambitious young state, the impact of the capitulation of the city resonated through the centuries and heralded the rapid rise of the Islamic Ottoman Empire.
250 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2000
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About the author
David Nicolle
282 books55 followersDavid C. Nicolle is a British historian specialising in the military history of the Middle Ages, with a particular interest in the Middle East.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 31, 2021
Три книги в едно общо издание. Текстът е лек и има по-скоро енциклопедичен характер, което спомага за бързия му и ненатоварващ прочит. С такъв род книги винаги е по-добре, ако читателят има някакво предварително (базово) историческо познание по темата - в случая за Византийската империя, Константинопол и тяхната история. На мен лично най-много ми допадна частта, посветена на стените и бойните съоръжения, обграждащи града на Босфора. Трябва също така да отбележа, че преводът и текстът като цяло ми се сториха точни и академично коректни, което при подобни популярни издания е все по-рядко (поне при българските преводи - затова е най-добре да се четат оригиналите).
П.П. На интересуващите се от темата "средновековен Константинопол" силно препоръчвам книгата на руския автор Сергей Иванов "В Търсене на Константинопол", издадена от "Изток Запад" преди няколко години.
П.П. На интересуващите се от темата "средновековен Константинопол" силно препоръчвам книгата на руския автор Сергей Иванов "В Търсене на Константинопол", издадена от "Изток Запад" преди няколко години.
January 24, 2017
"The Fall of Constantinople" is really just three Osprey books published together in hardcover. As such, it is necessary to examine each of the books individually.
John Haldon's 'Byzantium at War' is a decent addition and a good introduction. It provides a very brief survey of Byzantine military history, although 90 pages covered in pictures can hardly do the subject justice. Justinian to 1453 is simply too much to cover in that short of a span, but Haldon does a decent job. A lot is omitted, but such is the nature of an Osprey covering 800 years.
Stephen Turnbull's 'The Walls of Constantinople' is an excellent addition. There is a lot of good information in here, ranging from previous sieges to technical specifications about the walls. 'The Tour of the Site' chapter in that book is the short leg on the table, and it feels like it was added just to increase the length. It is good that Turnbull remembers to include Constantinople's spiritual defenders as well, for as Jonathan Harris points out in his books, this was a very important aspect for the defence of the city. The photographs and illustrations in this addition are mostly good, although a few of the black and white ones would have benefited from being in full-colour, as they just aren't terribly clear.
David Nicolle's 'Constantinople 1453' is the bad one of the bunch. Of the four maps, only two are good and useful in describing the campaign. However, the real problem with this volume is simply that it is too brief, and that there just isn't enough there. For an account of the siege, read Runciman's book, or even Crowley's. The siege is interesting because it is history written by the losers (and in one case, a monk with a history of forgery) and because we have many accounts. As such, Nicolle's just isn't enough.
In sum, this isn't a bad package. Haldon's book is a decent introduction to Byzantine warfare, although his 'Byzantine Wars' is a much better read. Turnbull's book is excellent, with lots of information on the walls and brief accounts of past sieges. Nicolle's falls short with just too little in it, especially when vastly better books are easily and cheaply available.
I have to say that I do recommend this book. The price is very good for what you get. General readers should enjoy this, and more advanced students should be able to find at least Turnbull's additions useful.
John Haldon's 'Byzantium at War' is a decent addition and a good introduction. It provides a very brief survey of Byzantine military history, although 90 pages covered in pictures can hardly do the subject justice. Justinian to 1453 is simply too much to cover in that short of a span, but Haldon does a decent job. A lot is omitted, but such is the nature of an Osprey covering 800 years.
Stephen Turnbull's 'The Walls of Constantinople' is an excellent addition. There is a lot of good information in here, ranging from previous sieges to technical specifications about the walls. 'The Tour of the Site' chapter in that book is the short leg on the table, and it feels like it was added just to increase the length. It is good that Turnbull remembers to include Constantinople's spiritual defenders as well, for as Jonathan Harris points out in his books, this was a very important aspect for the defence of the city. The photographs and illustrations in this addition are mostly good, although a few of the black and white ones would have benefited from being in full-colour, as they just aren't terribly clear.
David Nicolle's 'Constantinople 1453' is the bad one of the bunch. Of the four maps, only two are good and useful in describing the campaign. However, the real problem with this volume is simply that it is too brief, and that there just isn't enough there. For an account of the siege, read Runciman's book, or even Crowley's. The siege is interesting because it is history written by the losers (and in one case, a monk with a history of forgery) and because we have many accounts. As such, Nicolle's just isn't enough.
In sum, this isn't a bad package. Haldon's book is a decent introduction to Byzantine warfare, although his 'Byzantine Wars' is a much better read. Turnbull's book is excellent, with lots of information on the walls and brief accounts of past sieges. Nicolle's falls short with just too little in it, especially when vastly better books are easily and cheaply available.
I have to say that I do recommend this book. The price is very good for what you get. General readers should enjoy this, and more advanced students should be able to find at least Turnbull's additions useful.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews