Ghost Empire (book) explained
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.
Contents
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
- 2016, Ghost Empire (492 pages), Australia, HarperCollinsPublishers Australia, hardback[1]
- 2017, Ghost Empire: A Journey to the Legendary Constantinople (520 pages), USA, Pegasus Books, hardback[2]
Reception
In 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]
Notes and References
- Book: Ghost Empire . worldcat.org . WorldCat . 942532667 . 21 July 2017.
- Book: Ghost Empire A Journey to the Legendary Constantinople . worldcat.org . WorldCat . 975366212 . 21 July 2017.
- News: Luke Slatter . 19 August 2016 . Ghost Empire review: Richard Fidler journeys back to the glory of Constantinople . The Sydney Morning Herald . 21 July 2017.
- News: Sally Pryor . 23 July 2016 . Richard Fidler blends the historical and contemporary in his new book, Ghost Empire . The Canberra Times . 21 July 2017.
- News: Andrew Mcmillen . 6 August 2016 . Richard Fidler's Ghost Empire brings Constantinople to life . The Australian . 21 July 2017.
- News: Les Carlyon . 25 December 2016 . Books of the year: Colson Whitehead; Helen Garner; Camus. 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. . The Australian . 21 July 2017.
- Web site: Ghost Empire: A Journey to the Legendary Constantinople . 15 June 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. . Kirkus Reviews . Kirkus Media LLC . 21 July 2017.
- Web site: Ghost Empire: A Journey to the Legendary Constantinople . 3 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. . Publishers Weekly . PWxyz LLC. 21 July 2017.
- Web site: Shortlist Announced for the 2017 Indie Book Awards: Non-Fiction Shortlist . 16 January 2017 . indiebookawards.com.au . Australian Independent Booksellers . 21 July 2017 . 12 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170312040243/https://www.indiebookawards.com.au/single-post/2017/01/16/SHORTLIST-ANNOUNCED-FOR-THE-2017-INDIE-BOOK-AWARDS . dead .
- Web site: The Nielsen BookData Booksellers' Choice Award. booksellers.org.au. Australian Booksellers Association. 21 July 2017. 2 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170802085214/http://www.booksellers.org.au/aba-awards. dead.
