Istanbul

by Colin Thubron

Book by Thubron, Colin, Time-Life Books Editorial Staff

Genres: Travel, Middle East, Reference, History, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Colin Thubron, CBE FRSL is a Man Booker nominated British travel writer and novelist.

In 2008, The Times ranked him 45th on their list of the 50 greatest postwar British writers. He is a contributor to The New York Review of Books, The Times, The Times Literary Supplement and The New York Times. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Thubron was appointed a CBE in the 2007 New Year Honours. He is a Fellow and, as of 2010, President of the Royal Society of Literature.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must confess that I have always had a secret desire to visit Istanbul and tour all of the awesome sights of that ancient city: the Sancta Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Obelisk of Tuthmoses, Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar. Thubron does an excellent job of summarizing the history of Istanbul and mixing in his own experiences living in that crossroads of Europe and Asia. His observations of Turkish culture and society were insightful, especially when he compared that culture to other Levantine peoples such as the Greeks and Arabs. I am also fascinated by the place the Ottoman Empire and the Turks held in the collective imagination of Western Europe; it seems to be a rich blend of awe, fear, and envy. Someday, if the systemic issues of the Middle East ever get worked out, I would love to stroll the streets of old Stamboul with my wife and explore a city some 2,000 years old.

[Michael Heath-Caldwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book on Istanbul.

[Richard Spring · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet