pickFor 50+ days, Constantinople defended itself and its 1200+ years of history as the eastern-most bastion of Christendom against the Turkish Ottomans‘ assault. This is a very detailed account of the siege and battle, and some of the aftermath. Sultan Mehmet was only 21 when he felled the city that had withstood many previous attempts. I suspect age aided his endurance. But he was also a young military genius and had extraordinary control of the ⬇️
Texreader men who fought his battles, both by use of carrot (you get to plunder the city) and stick (you will die a lingering death if you fail to fight). The author writes in never boring detail, but it is a slow, monotonous read—the nature of a siege. The atrocious killing, taking of slaves, and plunder—the author is quick to note—was common at the time, regardless of creed or religion. I strongly recommend the book and its evenhandedness in its telling. 8h
sisilia I‘m so going to read this!!! 6h
