The Lion House

by Christopher de Bellaigue

Venice, 1522. Twenty-three men in robes of scarlet and blue assemble to hear the most sensitive intelligence from Istanbul: the Ottoman Sultan, the 'Grand Turk', has everything he needs to wage total war. By the end of the decade, a vast swathe of Europe will lie under Muslim rule.

Deploying the techniques of a novel and written almost wholly in the present tense, The Lion House presents an immersive drama of espionage and international power-broking in sixteenth century Europe - a time when the great fear of Christendom was Suleyman the Magnificent, who vied with the Holy Roman Emperor for the title of 'Sovereign of the World', and his terrifying pirate commander Barbarossa.

Pivoting between bedroom and battlefield, splendour and savagery, it reanimates with stunning immediacy the fears and stratagems of the various brokers, diplomats and concubines who were brought from all over the world to Suleyman's court and into orbit around his immense power. Through their lives and perspectives, it shows how fully Christians and Muslims inhabited one another's worlds even while their rulers waged war, and takes us deep into the cloistered realm where those rulers could decide the fate of millions.

The Lion House is not just the story of rival European super-powers in an existential duel, nor of the rise to stratospheric power of a single man who ruled both West and East, but a timeless and shockingly intimate story of power itself.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Middle East, European History, Historical, Audiobook

290 pages, Hardcover

First published February 3, 2022

About the author

Christopher de Bellaigue was born in London in 1971 and has worked as a journalist in the Middle East and South Asia since 1994. His first book, In the Rose Garden of the Martyrs: A Memoir of Iran, was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature’s Ondaatje Prize. His latest book is Patriot of Persia: Muhammad Mossadegh and a Tragic Anglo-American Coup. He lives in Tehran with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Absolutely fantastic. A chunk of the life of Suleyman the Magnificent, told as palace politics: Ibrahim the Frank, the grand vizier, Hurrem the slave turned concubine turned queen, Gritti the illegitimate Venetian plutocrat turncoat. It reads like a novel (and I didn't find the use of present tense nearly as objectionable as I do in novels) with lavish description and sardonic humour. Hugely immersive. It is really a story of the staggering greed and cruelty of, basically, everyone, which kind of makes it easier to cope with when the dominoes start to fall.

Really excellent, would have definitely been on my best of the year if I'd read it earlier.

[Faith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was “novelized” history, but it wasn’t novelized enough. No dialog, action, characters to follow or plot, it read like a Wikipedia entry. I gave up at the 60% point. Maybe I just wasn’t interested enough in this period of history to struggle through. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[Juliew. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I was very much hoping for some unread or unknown details of Suleyman I,Ibrahim or even Hurrem I'm afraid I was a bit disappointed.It's not a bad read just not really what I was looking for.The author's writing style was not my thing and the information I did obtain wasn't all that clear to me.If your looking for unique take on the Sultan's court politics or even just his political life itself this might be a good companion piece along with a biography.

[Graculus · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Historical non-fiction written like a novel' should probably have been my first warning but I pushed past that and requested The Lion House anyway, as its focus on Suleyman the Magnificent and his rise to power was something that I wanted to read more about.

This is a weird book and, to be honest, probably one I wouldn't have finished reading if I weren't reviewing it. While it tells the story of Suleyman, the focus is really more on the rise and fall of his right hand man and the relationship between Venice and the Ottoman Empire, as I think as much space is given to the Gritti (the older one the Doge, the younger his illegitimate son) as the emperor himself. This meant that I felt as though I came away from this book knowing much more about the personality of those three than I did about Suleyman.

The other downside of this book is in the choice of a narrative way of telling - sometimes a couple of sentences are blatantly untrue, refuted immediately, while it also leads you down dead ends on occasion. The ending is very abrupt, with not even an epilogue to talk about the fate of those still left alive by that point. So a bit disappointing, as it didn't really deliver on what was promised and I'll need to get some actual information somewhere else.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest opinion of the book in question.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

It wasn't until I started to write this that I noticed this book is actually non-fiction, it certainly reads like a historical fiction novel. This was a very, very enjoyable read. Quite engaging and an engrossing story. It flowed very well and despite having no prior interest or knowledge of the subject I was hooked.

The only reason I bought and started this book was I judged it on its beautiful cover. I'm glad I did. This is how history should be written, it read like a fictional narrative and was fun and not bogged down or densely dry.

I would recommend this book to any history buffs, or historical fiction fans. I will keep an eye out for more from the author.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plenty of interesting trivia, but the delivery was often a bit confusing. I don't know, maybe I'm dumb, but sometimes I had no idea what de Bellaigue was trying to communicate with a sentence. 2.5.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is lovely but the lack of a coherent narrative or overarching argument means it would be hard for someone who doesn’t already know about Sulieman and the ottomans to read. The relationship between Sulieman and Ibrahim seems the main theme. The lively description of bureaucracy and warfare methods makes it seem less distant in the past, and there’s a great chapter on Barbarossa I can assign to students.

[jrendocrine at least reading is good · Rating 2 out of 5]

too many names, hard to follow (gave up and skimmed the last 50%), not really sure what i learned, even though i kind of know about the european side of this 1500s world. oh well.

[Can · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sıkıcı, statik, partizanca didaktik. Roman desen Roman değil, anlatı desen korkunç boğucu. Yaşantı kategorisinde sunulmuş, eh olmasa da olurmuş.

[Jake Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book thinking it would be a biography of an interesting person, from a different part of the world at an important moment in history. I instead got a rollicking great story that raced from beginning to end. This is how history books should be written!

[Isabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this audiobook by the publisher via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

I went into The Lion House thinking it was going to be a biography about Suleiman the Magnificent. I'm assuming this is the first book in an upcoming series since it ends when Suleiman is in his 40s. However I feel like 300+ pages later and I still don't know a lot about Suleiman and what made him tick. I'd say this book puts a lot more focus on his famous advisor and close friend Ibrahim Pasha of Parga. Another focus would be all of the wars. But to be honest it appears to my limited knowledge that the Ottomans were predominantly sieging cities at this time, so the descriptions don't have a lot of military strategy in them. And it's pretty repetitive. I lost focus a lot when describing the sieges.

Another issue that I have with this book is how de Bellaigue chose to write it. It's not written like a traditional historical biography where the author describes the events and then writes how they interpret the facts. It's written in the present tense like a novel. I had issues with this writing style. First as somebody who has studied history extensively it's hard to determine where the line between facts from primary and secondary sources and the author's interpretation lie. And second de Bellaigue's writing style is overwrought.

Overall I'm very meh about The Lion House. I definitely don't recommend it if it's going to be your first foray into this period in history. I don't think I'll pick up the second book when it comes out. I rate The Lion House 3 out of 5 stars.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m not sure if it’s because I have covid whilst reading this that I haven’t been able to concentrate but I found this book with lack of solid plot and chronology really difficult to follow. At most points in the book I didn’t have a clue what was going on - I didn’t like the very short snippets it was like reading lots of short stories rather than a novel. Maybe I need to give it another try when I’m covid free but wasn’t a fan of this story after reading such wonderful reviews. I’ve felt like I’ve read a different book to everyone else.

[Jacob Stelling · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dramatic and enjoyable account of the Sultan’s first few decades on the throne, told through the stories of those key figures around him, who he will ultimately outlast. A great and readable narrative for those - like me - whose Ottoman history is non-existent!

[Vansa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my most anticipated books this year, and it did not disappoint at all. I find the Ottoman Empire fascinating, and this is the first volume of a proposed trilogy of historical fiction on Suleyman the Magnificent, under whose reign the Ottoman Empire expanded like never before. Bellaigue's descriptions make you feel like you're witnessing the pomp and circumstance of the coronations, and intriguing with the diplomats and spies. The narrative perspectives Bellaigue has chosen are of outsiders to the court, who are wheeling and dealing their way into its heart. What I find fascinating is that Bellaigue makes the realpolitik of the time very clear-there really wasn't a conflict among Islamicate Empires and Christian Empires, what there was, was a conflict among ambitious rulers, all of whom wanted more and more territory, and more people paying taxes, and most importantly, the control of trade routes. To achieve this, there were no permanent allies and no permanent enemies-several European powers relied on Suleyman the Magnificent to keep the Hapsburgs in check! The Venetian Republic had to maintain close relations with both the West and the East, and their balancing act is described very well. The book is peopled by fascinating characters-Ibrahim, who started as the Emperor's slave and rose to become his Wazir, Alvise Gritti, the Venetian middleman who procured everything for the EMperor, from jewelled headdresses to diplomatic treaties, Hurrem, the Ukrainian consort of the Sultan who schemed her way to ensure her son's succession claims, Mimar Sinan the fabled architect, Hayreddin who the Western world knows better as Barbarossa. A book that traced the life of just one of these historical figures would be spectacular. Their lives, the intersections with history and the effects those have to this day make for compelling reading. I didn't know, for instance, that Barbarossa was more than a pirate-he was a skilled naval commander and for all practical purposes, the lynchpin of the Ottoman Navy, whose naval campaigns extended the EMpire. Countries and borders hadn't solidified yet into their present shapes, and it's clear that several present-day conflicts can trace their roots back centuries to historical injustices. THe Ottoman EMpire, and IStanbul in particular, was a lot more diverse than I thought it was-though that makes sense given IStanbul's central location for trade routes. It's so well-written that I felt deeply invested in the characters' lives-would they succeed? Was their ambition getting to their head? I would have liked more description about the ways in which such a large and far-flung empire was ruled-Bellaigue merely writes that it was administered along the lines of ancient Persia, but since I don't know how that was administered, that's not very informative. It's a testament to the writer though, that he brings the period so alive that you want to know every little detail about it. I've borrowed many of the books he mentions in the bibliography to read next, and I can't wait for the next volume of the trilogy.

[Clay Kallam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a strange book.

Making it even stranger for me, I got it as a gift and had no idea what it was about -- and my habit is never to look at the information on the book jacket, so I just dive in.

And you know, after finishing it, I'm still not sure what it was about. On the surface, it's a history of the interactions between Suleyman the Magnificent and Central Europe in the early 16th century, which is a fascinating period for the Ottoman Empire and a Europe in transition. And, it must be noted immediately, it is wonderfully written by Christopher de Bellaigue, reading more like historical fiction than straight history. de Bellaigue is an engaging writer who takes risks and leaps most history writers wouldn't, but the result is a book whose pages turn quickly and easily.

But still ... the book opens in Venice, with a description of the convoluted process of selecting a Doge, and then never returns. "The Lion House" instead focuses on three people: Suleyman, his Grand Vizier Ibrahim and a second converted Christian, Andrea Grimani, bastard son of the Doge who is later known as the Beyoglu. Their interactions with each other, with Charles V (the great Hapsburg Holy Roman Emperor) and a wide cast of characters shed a fascinating light on the complex politics and political structures of the time.

But the book lacks an overarching narrative, especially at the end, when it more or less stops with much of the story untold. The wheels that have been turning since page one are still turning, but the reader is left wondering what road they followed after the final words of "The Lion House."

Nonetheless, I enjoyed "The Lion House," and am inspired to find more of de Bellaigue's books. If they are written with the same insouciant attitude towards traditional history, and backed with the same meticulous research, they will be well worth reading -- even if they don't quite have a conclusion I'm happy with.

[Lilisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the sixteenth century, this is a surprisingly dense book full of detailed accounts of the battles and intrigues that begins to set Suleyman the Great, the longest reigning Ottoman sultan, apart from his adversaries. From battles in Hungary to the Mediterranean region and on to northern Africa, we are brought into the story as insiders, experiencing firsthand the inner workings of his court, the political jockeying and ruthlessness, and power brokering that is the essence of any political environment. We also get to see the other side of Suleyman - his love for Hurrem and his strong ties to Ibrahim, which do not hold him back from tough choices though. I found the political agility of the Gritti father-son duo incredibly interesting and intriguing - they were crafty indeed. Although this book is classified as nonfiction, it’s difficult not to consider it fiction given the details, descriptions, etc. My head was spinning by the end of the book! Despite being meticulously researched, I would imagine assumptions had to be made and blanks filled it to create this solid and enjoyable book. Definitely not taking anything away from the author for this comment. I listened to an interesting episode on Suleyman not long ago on the BBC’s The Forum, which would go well with this book - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct... Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Meow558 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lion House by Christopher de Bellaigue is a unique book about the European powers vs. Suleiman the Magnificent. It covers a wide swath of material, from how Venetian politics worked, to how Suleiman rose to power, to the infamous pirate Barbarossa.
I found this book very interesting. It is written as a drama novel, completely in present tense and with turn-of-phrases. To the point where it is hard to remember that is all history. It also covers so much. Rather than focusing on one character or country, it covers several and in detail. The actual information is cool too, it really paints a picture. It even counts jewels and fabrics, and how much they were worth.
At times it was boring though. Covering so much means that a lot more is left out. I feel like I did not get to hear everything about a character, such as their childhood. Perhaps a smaller scope would have been better? I would have also loved to learn more about the common people and soldiers.
I would recommend this book to people who want a fresh and new way of learning, or to people who find reading nonfiction dry and boring. If you want a more in depth view, especially about a specific part of this, I would not recommend.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Lion House: the Coming of a King’ is non-fiction so well done that you might just think you’re reading a deeply intriguing historical drama. While dense and thorough, Christopher de Bellaigue’s account of Suleiman the Magnificent’s incredible vie to become Sovereign of the World versus the Holy Roman Empire of the 16th century, it is so much more than that.

While regaling us the remarkable and true events of this campaign, Bellaigue creates and urgency and intimacy regarding the lives of not only the powers of the time but also all in their orbit— from diplomats to concubines to much more ordinary folk.

Through this engaging version of one of the most incredible and sweeping power struggles in human history, you’ll find scheming mistresses, slaves who rise to great political power, famed architects, formidable pirate captains, the everyday mingling of Christian and Muslim peoples while more powerful people assert that the differences matter to those small folk, and much more.

Whether you’ve an existing interest in the Ottoman Empire or this is a gateway to historical nonfiction for you, I guarantee you will be completely ensnared by ‘The Lion House.’ This one is a must-read.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book of non-fiction that reads like a novel. It tells the story of Suleyman's rise to power in the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire's relationship with Venice, Charles V the "Holy Roman Emperor," and Francis I of France. More intimately, it tells the story of Ibrahim Pasha, a Westerner who became Suleyman's close friend as an enslaved boy and rose with him to power, wealth, and influence. Hurrem, the woman who was captured in what is now Ukraine, made a concubine of the Sultan, and eventually became his wife, is also depicted here.

De Bellaigue writes about Suleyman's life and times with wit and appreciation for the the forces at play, as well as insight into human nature. Lest you think that some of the more outrageous events in the book couldn't possibly have happened, there are notes and a bibliography, as well as an index.

If you're interested in the subject, this is truly a great read.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read a history book quite like this! Fast paced like a novel, written in the present tense, witty. Covers fascinating subject matter and the key personalities in the Ottoman Empire in the early 1500s. What a great read.

[Ivor Armistead · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Lion House” does not quite measure up or do justice to a fascinating era or the powerful characters involved.

[Rianne Werring · Rating 1 out of 5]

"These men cannot accept that the country of Matthias Corvinus, with its abundance of men and horses, it's full seams and giving soils, must submit meekly to the foreign yoke."

I loathe this book. And I do not say this lightly. I'm a lover of historical novels and history books, a literary theorist and a Bachelor of English Literature dropout. But this writer manages to write in prose so convoluted it often took me several rereads of several passages to figure out what the author was trying to convey. When I'm reading a book about history, I don't care whether it is 'beautifully written and profound'. I just want to be able to follow the facts. I require names, not to read that 'Ahmed was Suleyman's second breath.' What does that even mean? Don't make me go back several pages or even whole chapters to figure out what more this man Ahmed - not exactly an unusual name in this time and place! - was called, so I can then google him and figure out what his actual relation to Sultan Suleyman was. For goodness sake, I'm trying to learn a thing or two, not dig through the trenches of your poetry to try and unearth a tidbit of knowledge.

By all means: write the way Coleridge wrote of Xanadu. Or wax poetically like Ezra Pound in his Canto's. But please do not market your poetry slam as a history book.

Also: I found the prose was not at all helpful at demystifying 'the Orient': rather it was amplifying the notion of the Ottoman (and in later chapters the Persian) Empire as 'mystical', 'rich', 'exotic', and its inhabitants as sexual in a way 'other' to that of the Europeans. The Sultan? Oh he was married, but mostly gay. His converted Frankish slave-turned-Grand Vizier? Super gay. Everybody else who indulged in the Ottoman lifestyle? Gay gay gay. And not in a normal twentieth-century way - like yeah, bisexual relations were widely accepted here actually! - but in a 'mysterious', backhanded way, heavy with perfume and whispered from behind a silken veil, ready to strike you in the back with a jeweled dagger. Ugh.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I loved parts of this but found others a little dry. I think one of the main issues (not the book’s fault) is that this part of European history isn’t particularly well known in the UK so some of the machinations (especially when people have lots of different names or titles) could be rather confusing. Having said this, it gives a fairly accessible look at the court of Suleyman with as much focus on some of the major figures around him as on the man himself. My favourite parts were those that took quite a broad brush to some of these individuals (for example a chapter on the pirate Barbarossa). On the other hand some of the more detailed sections on battles left me a bit cold. I read somewhere (who knows where) that this is the first in a series of books planned which would make sense given where this one ended and I would definitely continue with the series, even if a day later I’m already a bit hazy about which Pasha was which and already need a refresher…

[Sude Nur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bir tarihçi olarak okuduğumda bile vadettiklerini vermeyi başaramayan bilgiye, daha çok bilgiye boğulmuş ve belki çeviriden kaynaklı akmayan bir kitap olduğunu düşünmekle birlikte yazarın bilgi birikimine ve çabasına saygı duyuyor takdir ediyorum- ihtiyacı varmış gibi- Ama gerçekten beni bile çok sıktı. Belki de Osmanlı Tarihine çok yakınlık duymadığım içindir fakat Süleyman dönemi okumaktan hoşlandığım bir dönem olmuştur hep. Arslanhane'yi ise bir yerden sonra bitsin diye okudum çünkü yarım bırakmak gibi bir huyum yok. Sayfaların böyle akmadığı bir kitap okumamıştım uzun zamandır. İbrahim ve Sultan'ın bölümleri bir nebze olsun daha iyi olmakla birlikte aralarda hep doğruluğu kanıtlanmamış ya da uydurma bilgiler yakaladım. Yazar bana kalırsa Gritti kısmının üstesinden daha iyi gelmiş ancak o kısım da beni hiç sarmadı, bütünlük hissi yakalayamadım.

[Leticia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this didn't quite live up to the hype for me. I like the idea of nonfiction history written in the style of a novel, but in practice the facts include too little about motivation and personal relationships to create emotional involvement with the "characters", and too much about jewels and buildings, so that you get sick of reading descriptions of them. A lot of interesting history is covered and I did enjoy much of The Lion House, but publicising it as "Wolf Hall for the Ottoman Empire" is not fair to either party.

This also ends oddly abruptly. I'd have appreciated a brief insight into how much longer Suleyman reigned, which of his sons inherited, or any of the myriad "plot" threads that were set up in the book and left dangling, despite concrete answers in history.

[Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me the moment it was described as “Wolf Hall for the Ottoman Empire.” And yes. Accurate. It’s brilliant, detailed, and witty. Also, so many people and information! My hyperfocused brain wanted to remember everything, it really did, but this book is dense and fully packed. After a bit of reading hangover and 'who are you again? Where are we? When are we?' syndrome it was still a very interesting and enlightening read!

[Beth Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

An account of the times of Suleyman the magnificent, written in present tense, with interesting detail. The style is fast paced, facts are colourful but some bits make me wonder if the writer has Tourette's.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating slice of
Ottoman history.
Suleiman the Magnificent and his pasha Ibrahim are amazing characters brought to life
In this book.

[Donald Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was somewhat disappointed with this book. It seemed to fall between stools: not a narrative history nor a historical novel, trying to be both and being neither. So it felt like a description of the moves of chess pieces intermingled snippets from a scrap book of side stories.

[Kevin Saliba · Rating 2 out of 5]

Completely scattered. Characters are introduced one paragraph and never spoken of again the next. The storyline is unfocused, despite the underlying plot line of Ibrahim and Suleiman and an internal struggle for power. I wanted to like this book, but after a few chapters I found myself counting the pages down.