Constantinopolis

by James D. Shipman

Constantinople is the impregnable jewel of the East. The greatest city of the Christian world, Constantinople has stood for a thousand years against invading hordes.
Mehmet II, the youthful and rash Sultan of the Ottoman Turks is bent on taking the city. He is distrusted by his people and hated by his Grand Vizier. Mehmet risks all to prove he deserves the throne and to accomplish the impossible: the capture of Constantinople.
Opposing him is Constantine XI, the wise and accomplished Emperor of the Greeks. Constantine is emperor in name only, for the Greek empire has dwindled to little more than the city itself. Short of resources, soldiers and hope, Constantine must fight against all odds to protect his people and his city from the most powerful army in the medieval world.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Ebooks, Amazon, Adventure, Religion

412 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2013

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt this novel of the Fall of Constantinople was intended for young people. It was a good narrative and gave motivations to both protagonists, Constantine and Mehmet: Constantine's wanting to save the city at all costs, and Mehmet, to conquer the city--something no predecessor had been able to do. The history was accurate for the most part, except for Constantine's fictional mistress and his good friend not being what he was historically. I liked the explanation of the city and of the characters at the end, to separate fact from fiction, and what happened to each after.

[James Shipman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Constantinopolis explores the fall of Constantinople in 1453 from the point of view of Mehmet II, Sultan of the Ottoman Turks and Constantine XI, Emperor of the Greeks.

[Marcela (BookaholicCat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since my first visit to Istanbul in 2004 I’ve been fascinated by its history, especially by its fall to Mehmet II in May 29th, 1453. For that reason I have read several books about the fall of Constantinople and about Mehmet II, a character that has always fascinated me.
Even though I know how the siege happened and how it ends I find intriguing the different takes by the different authors. I always find something new and interesting in the different stories. When I saw Constantinopolis by James D. Shipman available for review I couldn’t say no.

Mr. Shipman is a good storyteller; sadly I had problems with his portraits of Mehmet II and Constantine XI. Why? I think when you are telling a story about two different sides/individuals you should be as objective as possible and no take sides, but from page one it was clear that was not the case with Mr. Shipman.
Mr. Shipman’s portrait of Constantine is that of an understanding, loving, caring man that will sacrifice everything for his people. Even the love of the woman he loves. By the way, that woman was completely fiction. It was only one of many elements Shipman utilized to make Constantine XI seem more human and appealing in the eyes of the readers.

Read the rest of my review at The Bookaholic Cat

[Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea what to expect from this book since I did not know the history of Constantinople. But I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It fully engaged me from beginning to end. The character development was absolutely 5 star! I found myself being sympathetic and routing for both Mehmet and Constantine. What makes this book even more profound is that the author wrote a very accurate depiction of history and brought all the characters alive. You felt their emotions and knew their side of the story. I thought it was a fantastic novel. Well worth the time to read.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author's mechanics of writing were excellent. The storyline was told through enemies Mehemet and Constantine, Islam and Christian, respectively. Constantinople, under siege by Mehemet, finally fell to Islam after a long siege. I especially liked the comparison and contrast between the two men and their desires to capture or to hold onto the great city which sat at the crossroads of the then known world. Both men did not wish to see The Saint Sophia destroyed. It was captured by Mehemet in the siege, but it still stood. There was a made up love interest between the fictitious Sophia and Constantine which added some spice to the story. The war tactics and weaponry was of great interest to me.

Thank you, Mr. Shipman, for a Good Read.

[Charles z]

The story begins with the young Sultan Mehmet killing two people on a night walk. He then meets with his closest advisor Zagnos; in which they talk about the death of Mehmet’s father Murad who was a great leader as well as the scheming grand vizer Halil. Meanwhile, in Constantinople Constantine and his lover Zophia (who many advisors disprove of and think he should marry a Georgian princess instead) talk about how the empire is fading and the Turks are probably on their way to attack the city. Zophia dismisses this, but Constantine is worried. He does the unthinkable and decides to mend the churches and convert to Catholicism, which greatly upsets the Greek people. A few months later, back in the Ottoman capital of Edirne, after much debate, the Turks have decided to attack Constantinople. The Turks have help from a Hungarian named Orzan who built cannons for them. This move could win it or lose it all for Mehmet. On Easter as the Turks are quickly approaching, it seems the prayers have been answered as three Genoan ships come to Constantinople with Giovanni Longo in command. Giovanni is a skilled siege engineer who promises the city will not fall. The next month goes pretty well for the Greeks repelling all Ottoman attacks and even better as Constantine has finally won back Zophia after renouncing the marriage betrothal. The good fortune does not last as the Turks overrun the city, destroy many churches, and even kill Giovanni and Constantine. The novel ends with Pope Nicholas hearing of this news and collapsing on the Vatican floor in complete shock and then praying to God to save the rest of Europe.
The two main characters of the book were quite different, but I do prefer Constantine, as he seems kind and humble while Mehmet will kill anyone who gets in his way or disappoints him. This can be seen on page five where Mehmet kills somebody just for seeing him at night as the narrator informs us and says, “Mehmet held the twisting adolescent tightly while the dagger drove deeper into the boy’s throat.” I also liked Constantine because he was just and could always manage to stop unnecessary conflict such as the one between the Venetians and the Genoans in the city. I don’t think the author intended this reaction as some readers might enjoy Mehmet’s bruteness and toughness. I also liked Constantine because he was the underdog and it was interesting to see if he would prevail in his other more personal struggles, such as the mending of the churches. Another reason Constantine was my favorite character in the novel is because even though he was kind he was not afraid to use force and tell the truth even if it is mean. This is shown on page 306 where Constantine yells at cardinal Isdore for his lies about relief from the West due to the union and says, “You are wrong Isdore. I am Emperor and I will do as I wish. I might only rule this city but here my word is law. Get out tonight. If you are [at Saint Sophia’s] tomorrow I will turn you lose outside the walls with all your priests. You can try a union with the Turks if you wish.” Finally, I liked Constantine because unlike Mehmet he was a strong and diligent ruler who would never give up.
I thought the book was quite good and enjoyable and I highly recommend it to historical fiction fans. However, I did find the end of the book to be a bit slow, but this is only a minor grievance. I also thought that the Mehmet bits were not as interesting as the Constantine parts. The first part of the book was the part I found most interesting and enjoyable. Finally, my favorite part of the book was the John Hunyadi parts as they were quite clever and interesting, unfortunately he only appears in two chapters.

[Benjamin · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be fair this book is better than a I thought it would be. That doesn't mean it was good. Beyond committing the highly fashionable but still damnable sin of shoehorning a fictional and pointless romance, the author did not endow any character with a firm tone, or provide them with any serious development. Ripped from the text of Barabaro's chronicle, its efforts at story telling are at best merely dry and at worst insipid. Neither insightful nor inspired, character relations are boring and depart from the historical narrative, which in nearly all cases are both more interesting and compelling than those designed by the author. Drawing from such a rich moment in history the author is notable for presenting it so blandly. His treatment of historical figures is enough to make any informed reader cringe; especially notable is a his hatch-job treatment of George Sphrantzes. Yet the author at least did his research. To keelhaul with faint praise: his basic historical context is correct, if at times fanciful. Oversimplification goes with narrative, and in this I can hardly fault him for trying to maintain the pacing of this novel. It is neither the best nor the worst of historical fiction. I acknowledge my attachment to this period and its characters, may color my view on this book. Yet that does not change my opinion that there are far more engaging treatment of this momentous event. Runciman's 'Fall of Constantinople' is both more engrossing, and accessible despite being an academic work (and somewhat dated). In my opinion this author squanders the literary opportunities presented by the characters delivered by history; filling his work with lazy writing, cliched insertions, and poor character development. It is redeemed, and even then only slightly, by the fact that it is not blatantly false in its historical construction.

[Robbi Leah Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly love learning from historical fiction. James Shipman does an amazing job of telling the historical story of Mehmet II, who at the beginning of the book had just taken over as Sultan of the Ottoman Turks and the Emperor Constantine XI of Constantinople.
Living in America, I may have briefly been over this in a college history class, but had no memory of who had won the battle of Constantinople. Maybe if college teachers or world history teachers would assign books such as these we would remember more out of classes.
Shipman's vivid description of the character's thoughts and feeling draws you into the world of history and explains all of the battle for Constantinople.
You will be entertained while learning about the fight for people, territory and religions, the infighting in religions, the many betrayals out of greed, power or hate, Mehmet's fight for his right as Sultan and his ingenuity in battle, and Constantine's love for Constantinople, his people all he will do and give up to defend his love.
This is a brilliantly written book and I will never forget this part of history. I found myself so drawn in I was rooting for both Mehmet and Constantine. Unfortunately only one can win.
I highly recommend this book to all history fans out there and I feel people who normally do not read history can also be drawn into this book. I will be reading other books by this author! Thank you Mr. James Shipman for a truly historically accurate description of a battle that would change the world forever. This book helped open my eyes to the history of a part of the world I will probably never see.

[Angie Lisle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Library Thing in exchange for a review.

Initially, the book sucked me in and I finished the story in two days. Shipman does a great job taking what's often delivered as dry fact and turning it into action. But. I wish more facts made it into the story because this turned out to be more historical-fantasy than historical-fiction.

The story needs more editing to weed out the typos and repetitive passages. The characters need a little work, the historical figures are one-dimensional: Constantine is the overly romanticized hero and Mehmet is the stereotypical narcissistic villain. I wish we'd seen both the good and bad sides of each characters so that they'd feel like the real historical figures that they are. One character is entirely fictional; Zophia's supposed to represent the Greek spirit but she feels like an actress over-acting her role.

I would love to see the author take this story and flesh it out with more facts to support his speculations. The writing has potential - Shipman is able to convey ideas in a way that doesn't read dryly. I just wish this story had more meat on its bones.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

1453 was a pivotal year in western civilization. I have a degree in history and so I knew how the story would end. Nevertheless, I was rooting for Constantine because of his love and loyalty to his people and his city. It wasn't a religious issue (Christians vs Islam) but rather Constantine puts the need for survival first while Mehmet is driven by his personal self interests. The fictional character Zophia is an interesting addition to the story.

The author's notes at the end of the book were helpful and allowed readers to separate fact from fiction.

No sex (except a short, non graphic rape scene)
Non graphic violence (mainly war related)

[David Canford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reminds me of novels I used to love as a child - ones that bring history to life and make you want to know more about an era. It had me gripped almost from the first page. Yes it is occasionally repetitive and maybe some questions are too often repeated but that didn't detract from my enjoyment. I knew next to nothing about the fall of Constantinople and this book filled that gap. It was fascinating to discover that Mehmet was about to give up and had the Greeks held out for just one more day, he would have retreated and the city would not have fallen, at least at that time.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good read, very well written. Funnily enough I didn't really like the title, but that is a small thing. It is the story of the siege of Constantinople and that is something I previously knew nothing about. The story is very much the story of the siege/ battles and for that reason probably wouldn't be my first choice as a subject matter, but the writing is so good that it did keep me gripped. There are some really good characters and some fantastic descriptions. Well worth a read.

[Jim Blessing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read about an event that I had only limited knowledge about. The author went back and forth between Constantine, the last emperor and Mehmet, the young Sultan. The book was like the movie Argo, in that you knew how it was going to end, but the story kept you on the seat of your pants. I do not tend to be a high rater, but this was an amazing read!

[Liviu]

mediocre writing

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

**** (4 - 4 1/2 stars)
The story is set in and around Constantinople beginning in November, 1452. For almost 1,000 years, the Ottomans have repeatedly tried to conquer Constantinople, as have the Romans, the Crusaders, and the Hungarians, to name a few. Constantinople has been repeatedly saved primarily by its defenses - a series of massive battlements on the city’s 5-mile long west side, the Sea of Marmara to the south, and the Golden Horn and Bosphorous Sea protecting the north and east sides and harbors. It’s secondary saving grace seems to have been the belief of the people in the continued existence of their Constantinople.
As the tale begins, we get our first look at Mehmet II, new Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. At the age of 21, Mehmet II is a very young emperor, finally succeeding to the throne two years earlier after his father Murad’s death, and now has his third chance at getting it right. Twice, Murad elevated his youngest son Mehmet to Sultan, stepping down from the sultanate himself. Twice, Mehmet failed and his father was forced out of retirement to retake rule of one of the largest empires in history. Mehmet, eager to prove himself equal to the task, tried to do too much, too fast. Halil, Grand Vizier and Murad’s most trusted counselor, was Mehmet’s nemesis in his two failed attempts at the sultanate, and is working once again to impose his own agenda on Mehmet’s rule and possibly to overthrow him. Mehmet II believes he must conquer Constantinople in order to cement his power, be able to eliminate Halil, and win the love and adoration of his people. Author James Shipman ably captures the angst of an uncertain young man, the frustration of being treated with condescension, and the more than slight madness, genius and ruthlessness of an extreme Type A personality. Mr. Shipman’s Mehmet is not a character about whom you can be ambivalent. At times, I felt repulsed by his inhumanity. In numerous instances though, I found his brilliance astonishing. There was a generous and forgiving manner in dealing with those he conquered that was in stark contrast with his paranoia and suspicions of those around him. Overall, I felt Mehmet was the more developed main character, perhaps rightly so due to his complexity.
The other main character is Constantine XI Palaiologos, Emperor of Constantinople, descendent of “The” Emperor Constantine, ruler of the city, a few villages and a few Mediterranean islands. Constantine is dispirited and beleaguered from keeping a near-bankrupt, broken empire functioning for its own sake. He is paying protection money to the Ottoman Empire and tithes to the Holy Roman Empire. And now he finds the city “surrounded for hundreds of miles in each direction” by the Ottomans. Even if he had money left to buy food for his people and pay troops for the city’s defense, getting these desperately needed resources is problematic, at best. Though a small number of troops are able to get into the city, Constantine seems to know it will not be enough. A well-planned assault on the Ottomans, one that could literally drive them away and secure the victory for Constantinople, falls victim to treachery. The Pope, after much political delay, commissions a relief force, but privately tells the Captain to travel slowly and circuitously. Constantine agonizes over asking assistance from the Hungarians, because their leader has tried before to conquer the city. He forsakes his only love to pledge marriage to the daughter of a far-away king, in exchange for military aid. Mr. Shipman successfully portrays Constantine in his persistent, pervasive sorrow. I felt sadly cheered by Constantine’s courage, and impressed by his integrity in the face of overwhelming odds. He was constant and loyal to those around him, even when they were not deserving of his loyalty and constancy.
The story necessarily contains much detail of the various battles of the siege of Constantinople. The mark of a truly great storyteller is the ability to bring an intricate battle or war to life on paper, and Mr. Shipman quite successfully does that. I could hear the clang of steel and smell the coppery odor of blood in his words. But I always hate it when the author is so good that I can hear in the pages the screams of the horses, and, unfortunately in this case, he is. Military characters on both sides of the siege were well followed and their actions detailed in the battle scenes. While I am quite good at map reading and directions, I lose my sense of position in reading battle scenes. The small map at the beginning of the book only gives a general feel, so I finally resorted to the internet for a somewhat more detailed map.
The internet map also proved useful in following the characters around during more mundane activities. The beauty of Constantinople came alive for me - the play of sunlight on the palace walls, the sights and sounds and smells of the harbor, the feel of the cool sea breeze in the evening, the beautiful art treasures of the Cathedral of St. Sophia (predecessor, I believe, of the Hagia Sophia), even the chill in the cold winter rain. The descriptions of the settings, as well as general activity within the story were colorful, coherent and evocative, without being overly done. There were hardly any, if any at all, descriptions that ran on to the point where I would think “Alright, already!” Being able to enjoy a scene without it becoming tedious or boring is most pleasant.
Technically, Constantinopolis is very well-done. The two perspectives – Mehmet’s and Constantine’s - balance each other very well and are evenly presented. The editing is fairly thorough, with few overlooked grammatical errors. This is usually my biggest complaint with ebooks - the lack of attention to or competency in editing - and usually results in a loss of stars in my rating (but not in this case). Mr. Shipman’s writing and storytelling ability are excellent, and he evidently did a great deal of research for this story - his Epilogue is quite impressive.
Quite simply, Constantinopolis is an excellent book, and will most likely be in my top picks for this year.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I visited Istanbul a few years ago without knowing much at all of its history. What a beautiful city! I enjoyed reading this book about its fall, back when it was the Christian city of Constantinople. This is a book of fiction but I felt it gave a decent picture of what was going on at the time and the characters involved in the siege and defense of the city. The epilogue at the end did a good job of explaining what parts of the story were fictionalized as well as relating the what happened to each of the principle characters after the fall.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book, for free, on Good Reads First Reads. This book was very well written and provided day by day account of the fall of Constantinople. I found this book a very interesting read in that it provided what Emperor Constantine and Sultan Mehmet may have thought about and how they may have reacted each day of the siege of Constantinople. It also provided some of the lengths each leader may have went to save Constantinople (Constantine) and Mehmet to claim it.

[MARY C WILEY · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was interested in this book because we have visited Istanbul so I wanted to know more history of the city. Many of the characters were real people who participated in the fall of the city. I enjoyed the book but somehow it left me frustrated. The politics of the era (the Pope, Hungary, etc.) doomed the city, not the will of the citizens. Recommend.

[Janice M Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Constantinopolis

This was a good historical novel. I chose to read it because I did not know much about that time. The book clearly depicts the life and times of the 1400`s. This was a profitable moment in history and helped define the boundaries of Christianity and Muslim faiths.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the history; Hated the Romance

I learned a lot about the history of Istanbul from reading this novel especially when I cross referenced important details. The fictional romance between Constantine and Zophia was uncomfortable and got in the way of the story and served only to cheapen it. Generally though I’m very glad I read it.

[Linda Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, but style is an issue.

This is a fascinating historical novel. I did not know any of the history of the Ottoman Empire and now would like to know more. The book would be so much improved by correction of the many, many grammar errors and repetitive narration. It would benefit from a skilled editor. Suitable for teen readers.

[Sekhar N Banerjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read

A splendid recounting of history. It reads like a novel with very correct narration of history. I wish some of the authors of historical fictions could follow this example.

[Sean Myles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical examination

The novel sets out the history of Istanbul in a realistic recreation of it medieval past based on the lives of the 2 main characters. Well written and research it's an excellent way of passing on knowledge in an easy enjoyable manner.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

learned a lot of history from this book, knowing very little about that era (1450-55) of Greece/Turkey and the change from Constantinople to Istanbul (Christianity to Islam); esp appreciated the synopsis of all the real characters at the end of the book;

[K. Counihan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great storytelling a very good book

A lot of history and a little fiction, well researched, a balanced point of view make this a very good book.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA

[Stephen Thurston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical accuracy

I love a historical novel, especially one as well written as this one. You get a feel for the time and the personality of the main characters.

[Chris Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed reading this historical novel. The interplay between characters was effective and made it quite readable.

[Patrick]

No interest in topic

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure: The author, James D. Shipman, read some of my other reviews in Goodreads and asked me to review "Constantinopolis." He sent a complimentary advanced copy to review. I should also note that this period in history, 1453, isn't a period of history that I know much about.

This historical novel is about the siege of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in 1453. By this point, Constantinople is a city greatly in decline but it's powerful fortifications have withstood several previous attacks by the Ottoman Empire over hundreds of years. The young Sultan, Mehmet II, has returned to power following the death of his father, Murad. Mehmet first came to power when he was 12 but he was deposed by his Grand Vizier, Halil, who brought Murad back out of retirement.

Murad was a powerful, well respected leader. He had conquered much territory but previously failed to take Constantinople. Mehmet has a circle of younger advisors who are recent converts to Islam from Christianity. But they are often opposed by the old guard, led by Halil. Mehmet desperately wants to be respected but to do that he must gain some victories. So he sets his mind on capturing Constantinople.

The current Greek emperor, Constantine (not the famous Emperor Constantine)is desperately trying to hang on. He seeks help from the Pope in Rome, but that comes at a cost--giving up the Eastern Christian Churches' traditions in favor of the Roman Catholic Church. John Hunyadi leads a successful Hungarian army to the north--he could be a valuable ally. Constantine could marry a Georgian princess to the east to try to get their fleet to come to his aid. But that comes at the cost of giving up his Greek lover, Zophia. Zophia is the only person who Constantine feels comfortable enough with to let down his guard and express his fears.

Meanwhile there are spies in both the Greek and Ottoman camps. And there is plenty of intrigue and rivalries in both the Greek and the Ottoman courts. The Italian city-states seem to be more interested in feuding among themselves, and profiting from trade with the Ottoman Empire, than coming to the aid of Constantinople. Will aid come to Constantinople in time? Or will Constantine and the Greeks be forced to fight on alone? Will Constantine lose everything he values most by being forced to compromise his values and his people's values in the hope of surviving?

Can Mehmet capture Constantinople before he's forced to abandon the siege? If he's defeated he runs the risk of Halil deposing him again and likely killing him. Yet Mehmet doesn't dare kill Halil, at least not yet.

Mehmet doesn't come across as a very sympathetic character. But he does adapt and he can be full of surprises. Constantine is a more sympathetic character. The author does a good job portraying the strain Constantine is under.

The battle scenes are exciting and the descriptions of siege warfare are interesting. I found it a little odd that Constantine and Mehmet didn't make more of an effort to uncover the spies in their respective camps. That would've been interesting story threads to add suspense to the overall story.

The author includes some brief historical notes at the end of the book. That's something I like about Bernard Cornwell's historical fiction and it's a nice touch in this book as well.

The advanced copy that I reviewed contained a few errors, which hopefully were or will be corrected in the final edition. Those errors don't really detract from the reader's enjoyment of the story.

Overall I enjoyed reading this novel. It's not a period of history that I know much about and it probably isn't a book that I would've selected to read on my own for that reason. But I enjoyed reading it. I can't speak for experts in this period of history, but I think that readers of historical fiction will enjoy this novel. If they're like me, they'll learn something in the process too.