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Constantinople: City of the World's Desire, 1453 1924 Paperback – October 19, 2006

by Philip Mansel (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 71 ratings
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Wedding elegant prose with impeccable historical research, this highly acclaimed history absorbingly charts the interaction between the vibrantly cosmopolitan capital of Constantinople—the city of the world's desire—and its ruling family. In 1453, Mehmed the Conqueror entered Constantinople on a white horse, beginning an Ottoman love affair with the city that lasted until 1924, when the last Caliph hurriedly left on the Orient Express. For almost five centuries Constantinople, with its enormous racial and cultural diversity, was the center of the dramatic and often depraved story of an extraordinary dynasty. This is the definitive history of one of the world’s most exotic and exciting cities.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    544 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    John Murray
  4. Publication date
    October 19, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 1.4 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0719568803
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0719568800
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Life in the city, against the backdrop of the changing political fortunes of the Ottomans, is well documented. . . . A rich mosaic of information."  —New York Times Book Review

"Thoroughly documented, this is a splendid introduction to one of the first truly cosmopolitan cities."  —Kirkus Reviews

"This very readable book will appeal to history buffs."  —Booklist

About the Author

Philip Mansel is the author of Dressed to Rule, Louis XVIII, Paris Between Empires, and Prince of Europe. He writes for such publications as the Financial Times, the International Herald Tribune, the Spectator, and the TLS.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ John Murray (October 19, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0719568803
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0719568800
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1.4 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 71 ratings

About the author

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Philip Mansel

Philip Mansel

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Philip Mansel is a historian of France and the Middle East; he has lived in Paris, Beirut and Istanbul, and now lives in London. His books on French history include Louis XVIII (1981); The Court of France 1789-1830 (1989); Paris between Empires (2001), a history of Paris as a European capital under the restoration and the July Monarchy; The Eagle in Splendour: Inside the Court of Napoleon (reprint 2015); and most recently King of World: The Life of Louis XIV (2019). On the Middle East he has written Constantinople: City of the World’s Desire (1995) ; Levant (2010) on Smyrna, Alexandria and Beirut; and Aleppo: the Rise and Fall of Syria’s Great Merchant City (2016). They emphasise the importance of France and French culture for those cities. His books have been translated into several languages including French, Italian, German, Greek, Turkish and Arabic. He has written for many newspapers and magazines, including The International Herald Tribune, The Spectator; History Today; the TLS; and Cornucopia.

In 1995 he was a co-founder of the Society for Court Studies (www.courtstudies.org), designed to promote research on courts and dynasties, and in 2010 of the Levantine Heritage Foundation, dedicated to the study of the history and cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean (www.levantineheritage.com). In 2012 he received the London Library Life in Literature award and in 2019 the Franco-British Book Prize. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of Literature, and President of the Conseil scientifique of the Centre de Recherche du Chateau de Versailles.(CRCV).

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
71 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Zoraida
5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid book!
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2012
Verified Purchase
I am actually reading the Spanish translation of this book, which I bought in Spain some years ago. This is a superb, well-written book that entices the reader to continue reading. The city comes alive in a wonderful way, from the lives and likes of the Sultans to those of grand viziers, great architects, and even artisans. The descriptions of the mosques and architectural landmarks are splendid. I am now ordering the book in English, in order to read it in the language in which it was written. I recommend this book, not only for travelers to Istanbul but also for the general, cultured reader.
8 people found this helpful
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SMG
5.0 out of 5 stars A great work of history…
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2022
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Well written. Informative.
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Larry N. Stout
3.0 out of 5 stars Conglomerate
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2014
Verified Purchase
This book has no narrative; it's a hodge-podge of disparate historical fact/fiction, observations, and anecdotes, arranged in 15 broadly thematic (but essentially catch-all) chapters, such as "Harems and Hamams" and "Viziers and Dragomans" Quite a number of the bits of information are very interesting, and the book runs to considerable length in a less-than-large typeface, so there's a lot to like here; however, the disparate melange that is each chapter rules out use of the book as a reference, notwithstanding that the index is decent. I would give this book four stars, maybe five, if the chapters were more coherent and discrete themes more fully developed.
6 people found this helpful
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M. D.
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2018
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Very informative about the City and it’s importance in the world
2 people found this helpful
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JP
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved the Organization of the Chapters
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2023
I was so surprised at how readable this book was and the detail was as deep and intoxicating as the art of calligraphy from the time of the Pashas. I loved how the chapters were organized in themes (politics, trade, social life, religion, etc) and not just a hop from battle to battle. I'm looking for something similar now for another region of the world I don't know much about.
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Tsar Joe
5.0 out of 5 stars Readable History
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2013
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Very even and balanced account, a mix of social and political History. Excellent introduction for readers new to the subject, fresh review for those who have read the subject. Smooth text.
4 people found this helpful
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Irfan M. Ibrahim
5.0 out of 5 stars Istanbul....Constantinople
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2012
Philip Mensel has a done a great job. I traveled to Istanbul and had to get some historical perspective on Istanbul. I had no knowledge on 1453-1924 time period. If you are looking for casual treat and through information on Istanbul, You will enjoy it.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Michael Crown
5.0 out of 5 stars Not read it yet, but lovely front cover
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2021
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AMRI
5.0 out of 5 stars Still unsurpassed
Reviewed in Spain on February 15, 2019
Verified Purchase
Written twenty five years ago, it remains a very readable and detailed cultural history of the city and the Ottoman Empire. Probably, the highest quality/price relationship you can find on this topic in ebooks.
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Michael Darbyshire
5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliantly written book that gives you the flavour an ere ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
A brilliantly written book that gives you the flavour an ere and politics of the day. I could not put it down and as resident of Istanbul it helped me understand the culture and feeling of the city even more so.
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David G
3.0 out of 5 stars Not really a history, more of a catalogue
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
I had high expectations of this book, and I have a long-standing interest in the Ottomans, Moors, and the interplay between Christianity and Islam in Europe. But I feel this book violates the basics of 'history', by being an extensive catalogue of the city and its treasures but doesn't really tell the story. What of the complex interplay between Genoa and Constantinople, and the extensive Italian city within the city? Or the large Jewish community, that ultimately gave us such families as the Rothschild and Ephrussi dynasties?

I got tired of reading endless detail about the jewels of the sultan, or of life in the Harem, and didn't feel any flow of life in the city at different times, the machinations of the court, or a sense of its rivalries, conflicts and alliances with Europe.

I haven't finished it, and intent to jump forward to see if its becomes more 'historic', but I am certainly not getting much pleasure out of it so far. Disappointing.
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DavidOrlo,London
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2014
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If you have visited Istanbul this will bring back many happy memories. If you have not it will encourage you to go there. A very detailed book which on every page is a delight....one of the very best travel/history books i have ever read. Now I have finished it I will start it again !
2 people found this helpful
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