Ghost Empire is a 2016 book by Richard Fidler. It is about the history of Constantinople up to the conquest by the Ottoman Empire interspaced with the experiences of Fidler and his son who took a trip to Istanbul in 2014.
 | |
| Author | Richard Fidler |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | History, Constantinople |
| Publisher | (HarperCollinsPublishers Australia) |
Publication date | 2016 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 492 |
| ISBN | 978-0733335259 |
| OCLC | 942532667 |
Contents
edit- Author's note
- Timeline
- Introduction
- Radiant City
- Rome to Byzantium
- The Deep State
- Persian Nightmares
- Children of Ishmael
- Uncreated Light
- The Starlit Golden Bough
- The Fourth Crusade
- End of Days
- A Thing Not of This World
- The Artifice of Eternity.
- Acknowledgements
- Endnotes
- Bibliography
- Images credits
- Index
Publication history
edit- 2016, Ghost Empire (492 pages), Australia, HarperCollinsPublishers Australia ISBN 978-0733335259, hardback[1]
- 2017, Ghost Empire: A Journey to the Legendary Constantinople (520 pages), USA, Pegasus Books ISBN 978-1681775111, hardback[2]
Reception
editIn a review of Ghost Empire, The Sydney Morning Herald wrote "Fidler is passionate about his subject and he knows it well. Though an amateur historian, the radio presenter and one-time comedy star handles this dauntingly complex material with dexterity.", noted "That's not to say there isn't a fair amount of breezy surface narration and a number of subjects that seem ticked off rather than explored.", and concluded "Fidler's story ... leaves its readers with a sense of faith in the renewing, illuminating, social powers of historical narrative."[3]
The Canberra Times wrote "In the book, Fidler evokes the clash of civilisations, the fall of empires, the rise of Christianity and the knock-on effects throughout civilisation when Constantinople fell and became Istanbul. But he tells them in the context of sharing his discoveries with his son – a poignant chapter of family life."[4] and The Australian called it an "extraordinarily ambitious book"[5]
Les Carlyon named it one of his best reads of 2016.[6]
Ghost Empire has also been reviewed by Kirkus Reviews.[7] and Publishers Weekly,[8]
It achieved the shortlists of the 2017 Australian Indie Book Award,[9] and the 2017 Australian Booksellers Association Nielsen BookData Booksellers Choice Award.[10]
References
edit- ^ Ghost Empire. WorldCat. OCLC 942532667. Retrieved 21 July 2017 – via worldcat.org.
- ^ Ghost Empire A Journey to the Legendary Constantinople. WorldCat. OCLC 975366212. Retrieved 21 July 2017 – via worldcat.org.
- ^ Luke Slatter (19 August 2016). "Ghost Empire review: Richard Fidler journeys back to the glory of Constantinople". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
- ^ Sally Pryor (23 July 2016). "Richard Fidler blends the historical and contemporary in his new book, Ghost Empire". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
- ^ Andrew Mcmillen (6 August 2016). "Richard Fidler's Ghost Empire brings Constantinople to life". The Australian. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
- ^ Les Carlyon (25 December 2016). "Books of the year: Colson Whitehead; Helen Garner; Camus". The Australian. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
The author says Hagia Sophia, the church built by the emperor Justinian, floods the senses with wonder and pleasure. Fidler's book does much the same.
- ^ "Ghost Empire: A Journey to the Legendary Constantinople". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media LLC. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
In this entertaining survey, Fidler, the host of a popular radio program in Australia, recounts this history through the lens of a recent trip with his 14-year-old son to Istanbul. ... Fidler provides a palpable sense of this glittering city built as "a mirror of heaven.
- ^ "Ghost Empire: A Journey to the Legendary Constantinople". Publishers Weekly. PWxyz LLC. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
Australian radio personality Fidler recounts a trip to Turkey with his son in this surprisingly diverting tome that elucidates the rise and fall of Nova Roma. Specialists will find nothing groundbreaking, and scholarly meticulousness is not Fidler's style, but he's witty and has a knack for delivering unexpected anecdotes.
- ^ "Shortlist Announced for the 2017 Indie Book Awards: Non-Fiction Shortlist". indiebookawards.com.au. Australian Independent Booksellers. 16 January 2017. Archived from the original on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
- ^ "The Nielsen BookData Booksellers' Choice Award". booksellers.org.au. Australian Booksellers Association. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.