The Walls of Constantinople AD 324–1453

Osprey Fortress #25

by Stephen Turnbull, Peter Dennis (Illustrator)

The walls of Constantinople are the greatest surviving example of European medieval military architecture in the world. They withstood numerous sieges until being finally overcome by the artillery of Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453, and exist today as a time capsule of Byzantine and Medieval history. This book examines the main defensive system protecting the landward side of the city, which consisted of three parallel walls about 5 miles long. The walls defended the city against intruders, including Attila the Hun, before finally being breached by European knights during the Fourth Crusade in 1204 and, ultimately, destroyed by Turkish artillery in 1453.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Military History

64 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2004

About the author

Stephen Richard Turnbull is British a historian specializing in eastern military history, especially the samurai of Japan. His books are mainly on Japanese and Mongolian subjects. He attended Cambridge University where he gained his first degree. He currently holds an MA in Theology, MA in Military History and a PhD from the University of Leeds where he is currently a lecturer in Far Eastern Religions. He has also written a number of books on other medieval topics. He is semi-retired but still holds the post of Visiting Professor of Japanese Studies at Akita International University in Japan.

Reviews

[Faith Justice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy the Osprey books because of the illustrations. I'm a visual person and have trouble translating word descriptions into images. I visited the walls of Constantinople several years ago and these pictures are much better than the ones I took!

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Satisfactory introduction to the factors shaping the fortifications of Constantinople. In addition good guidance on how to visit and explore the remains.