I'm not going to review it in detail; OK, I admit that I'm not in any way qualified to review it in detail. However, for me it stands as a useful companion to the Osprey hardback collection entitled 'The Fall of Constantinople' (as inevitably are all books on the subject) which has the benefit of more maps. Runciman is essential of course and I would also recommend Crowley.
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| A chap with a beard |
What I wouldn't recommend is reading it just when one has decided that the period is not for you.
I read the Crowley book, and his Empires of the Sea, while on holiday in Italy 4 years ago. I thought they were terrific, and was captivated, though it is a period (along with so many others) of which I know little. I found something very compellingly sinister about the Turkish forces - almost superhuman - there's a real sense of medieval dread in there. This otherwise valueless comment was really intended to relate a spooky experience - I was sitting in a cafe at the Marina Grande in Sorrento when I reached the section (in Crowley) about raiding parties landing in the Bay of Naples to take prisoners and slaves. I became aware that some of the older buildings around me must have been in existence at that time - if you listened hard enough, you might hear screams…
ReplyDeleteThat would put you off your Caprese.