Istanbul: The Imperial City

Full of black humor, dark and light. Absurd and very real at the same time. Gives a great feel for the sensational city of Istanbul. I hope that politics are not destroying the wonderful city that is the heart of this book, though I fear that the right wing government wants to do away with Ataturk's miracle Turkish flavored International City. But this novel gives you the feel of a positively changing culture, with the hangover feelings and impacts of out of date male/female relationship patterns on two people trying to adjust their lives to a new order. By carrying their examples to the extreme, the absurdist result gives lots of laughs and lots of insight into the Turkish world and perhaps the world in general. His feel for everyday life in Istanbul is sharp and accurate and informative as an introduction to the City and People who have stood at the heart of this greatest of Cities for thousands of years. I am about to visit the Museum of Innocence created by the author to memorialize the characters of the book and the Istanbulish details of life and obsession in the heart of Turkey. What a great book!

excellent and very readable for the history of an incredible city

Great information. Had the kindle version and the maps did not come with it. Good tour guide info in last section

I wish I had had time to read this book before my trip to Istanbul. I discovered it on my father's bookshelf only days before my departure for Turkey. I read it upon my return and found it both interesting and valuable in understanding this beautiful city that straddles both East and West. I then bought a copy as a gift for someone with an interest in the history of the city. This book is a great introduction to the history of Istanbul. HIGHLY Recommend!

I purchased this book to read during a trip to Istanbul and it was the perfect guide accompanyment. If you are interested in history and want to delve deep into Istanbul's history while visiting here, then I strongly recommend this book. I couldn't put it down, and the book covers everything - from its days as Byzantium to Constantinople to Istanbul and all the brutal, crazy leaders who have resided here. I like how key landmarks and areas of the city are mentioned regularly in here. It makes actually seeing the sites that much more rewarding. You will not be disappointed if you get this book. It is absolutely fantastic.

Prof. Freely has walked the streets of Istanbul a lot more than many of the locals and has a good grasp of the cultural and historical significance of this great city. I was lucky enough to be his student, and then assistant, at Bogazici University along the Bosphorous, old Robert Academy, where he taught Physics for many years. He has an excellent eye for catching that little strange detail that many Istanbullians take for granted but what may be a direct link to either the Ottoman Imperial past or all the way back to Romans. They did not call themselves Byzant by the way, and Ottomans did not call them Byzantians either. Both knew they were Romans, Eastern Roman to be exact. Numerous European rulers over the centuries have tried to assume the "Roman Emperor" title and dreamt of re-creating the glory of the Roman Empire, so they have usually found it hard to acknowledge the true heritage of Constantinople. This is a little more than just a street guide, but not exactly a historical treatise either. Thank you Prof. Freely.

We are going to visit Istanbul for the first time and thought it would be helpful to learn something about the city and it's incredible history. The author, John Freely he has taught physics and the history of science at Bogazici University (formerly Robert College and Bosphorus University) in Istanbul since 1960 and writes so well.

I'll be traveling to Istanbul in the spring, and I like to do as much research as possible on my vacation destination. Knowing only the briefest sketch and general overview of Byzantine/Constantinople/Istanbul history, this book helped to flesh out a lot of the history and, indirectly, the philosophy of the empires that made it their HQ. It was an excellent place to start, and now I know what to zero in on for my particular interests. It moves very quickly and touches on a bit of everything, ruler by ruler, going over the architectural structures (or destructions) from their reign, and what can still be seen of them.

Excellent

This book is beautifully written and helped us during our sightseeing tour of the old city. The historical part of the book is very informative. It is always interesting reading about a city through the eyes of a foreigner who has lived there and loves the city!

A fascinating and lucid account of the complex past of this important city

A dense history with some fascinating detail - fine if that's what you're looking for. I wanted a readable introduction prior to a visit to Istanbul, and while the information was there, it was a bit difficult to digest for my purposes.

Excellent