Istanbul, City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World

In his 360-page narrative history, the author, Thomas F. Madden, encapsulates the progression of events that eventually led to the establishment of the ancient Greek city of Constantinople through to its present representation in the form of the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul. Madden focuses on individuals and their actions that influenced the city’s constantly changing character, including, but not limited to Constantine, whose eponym originally crowned the city, Saladin, Suleiman the Magnificent, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Through the events described by the author, all of which played a significant role in the march forward, then retreat, then march forward again, its ebb and flow, the city pulsates, as if it were breathing, as if it were alive. To a certain extent, the book can almost be regarded as a biography, since the city, on the one hand, finds its existence in the lives of those who not only ruled it, but the people who inhabited it; yet, on the other hand, the rulers and dwellers are extensions of the city which gave them life.

I have placed this book review under the ‘faith’ page because overall it is a story of the competition between Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and eventually, Islam. Since Madden is an expert on the Crusades, this aspect of the competition that ensued between the two branches of Christendom at the time and Christendom’s war against Islam, plays prominently in the story of the city and the region.

The book is divided into four parts: I. Byzantion (667BC—330 AD); II. Byzantine Constantinople (330—1453); III. Ottoman Constantinople (1453—1923); IV. Istanbul (1923—2016), with a total of 23 chapters. The chapters are self-contained, meaning that each tells a story of its own. For those who wish to pursue the topic further, the author has included a reading list.

Madden has written his history of Istanbul in a very readable, entertaining style. It is obvious that he is well-acquainted with the modern metropolis of Istanbul, which adds to the overall flavor and enjoyment of reading this history.

Please note that these are my personal observations, which are as accurate as my memory allows me to remember what I’ve read!