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Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Bettany Hughes (Author, Narrator), Hachette Audio (Publisher)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 690 ratings
Editors' pick Best History
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Istanbul has long been a place where stories and histories collide, where perception is as potent as fact. From the Koran to Shakespeare, this city with three names - Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul - resonates as an idea and a place, real and imagined. Standing as the gateway between East and West, North and South, it has been the capital city of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. For much of its history it was the very center of the world, known simply as "The City," but, as Bettany Hughes reveals, Istanbul is not just a city, but a global story.

In this epic new biography, Hughes takes us on a dazzling historical journey from the Neolithic to the present, through the many incarnations of one of the world's greatest cities - exploring the ways that Istanbul's influence has spun out to shape the wider world. Hughes investigates what it takes to make a city and tells the story not just of emperors, viziers, caliphs, and sultans, but of the poor and the voiceless, of the women and men whose aspirations and dreams have continuously reinvented Istanbul. Written with energy and animation, award-winning historian Bettany Hughes deftly guides listeners through Istanbul's rich layers of history.

Based on meticulous research and new archaeological evidence, this captivating portrait of the momentous life of Istanbul is visceral, immediate, and authoritative - narrative history at its finest.

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  1. Listening Length
    24 hours and 35 minutes
  2. Author
    Bettany Hughes
  3. Narrator
    Bettany Hughes
  4. Audible release date
    September 12, 2017
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Hachette Audio
  7. ASIN
    B075G224N4
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 24 hours and 35 minutes
Author Bettany Hughes
Narrator Bettany Hughes
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date September 12, 2017
Publisher Hachette Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B075G224N4
Best Sellers Rank #29,526 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#5 in Turkey History (Audible Books & Originals)
#17 in Archaeology (Audible Books & Originals)
#83 in Archaeology (Books)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
690 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book informative and well-written. They describe it as an engaging read with a detailed account of Istanbul's evolution. The writing style is described as well-crafted with beautiful prose that interweaves past and present.

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History accuracyReadabilityWriting style
19 customers mention "History accuracy"17 positive2 negative

Customers find the book's history accurate and engaging. They appreciate the detailed account of Istanbul's evolution and mention it's informative. The research is deep and broad, with great references. The book brings together the past and present in an artful way, bringing the past and present together.

"...You get a sense of both history and timelessness. That's not to say there's no linear, historical development in this book...." Read more

"...It was a period when liberal arts and thoughts developed, it was the beginning of an enlightenment in the fields of science, architecture, painting,..." Read more

"...Lively, engaging and comprehensive, this book is a great introduction to the many faces of Istanbul as well as those within and how they affected..." Read more

"...I want more. Informative, easy to read, and so interesting." Read more

17 customers mention "Readability"13 positive4 negative

Customers find the book fascinating and engaging. They describe it as a must-read for anyone who loves Istanbul. The short chapters allow for measured reading, but some wish they were longer.

"...The section is good in describing the discoveries the excavations have made during the construction of the tunnels in Istanbul...." Read more

"...Lively, engaging and comprehensive, this book is a great introduction to the many faces of Istanbul as well as those within and how they affected..." Read more

"...Short chapters allow for measured reading, but you’ll wish they were longer. I want more. Informative, easy to read, and so interesting." Read more

"This is a long but worthwhile read. Scholarly but almost unputdownable at the same time. A book to be savoured." Read more

10 customers mention "Writing style"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's writing style. They find it well-written with great references. The author uses beautiful prose to interweave past and present, making it readable and captivating. Readers also mention that the book includes miniatures, music, and poetry.

"...Rather, you get a poetic description rich with content and...well...something that's not simple, linear history...." Read more

"...in the fields of science, architecture, painting, miniature, music and poetry. For this purpose a movement towards the West occurred...." Read more

"...I want more. Informative, easy to read, and so interesting." Read more

"...new biography of Istanbul by historian Bettany Hughes was written with a lot of heart, and got off to a great start..." Read more

This could have been a GREAT book...but it's not!
3 out of 5 stars
This could have been a GREAT book...but it's not!
Let me preface this book by saying, this could have been a GREAT book...This new biography of Istanbul by historian Bettany Hughes was written with a lot of heart, and got off to a great start (especially with the Byzantine years), but then sadly fell apart. She just took on too much, too fast, too soon. I think Hughes needed to spend more time in the city, just living and breathing it, and second, she needed to work on making the narrative more cohesive and compelling. Note to all historians: Avoid info stuffing and dumping! It makes for a boring and laborious read— especially at over 600 pages! And yes I did read all 600 plus pages!!! I also found some inaccuracies in her narrative (for instance she said it’s unclear who won the Battle of Gallipoli. What??? It is well known historically as one of the greatest military victories for the Turks. She lost a lot of credibility for me after that major blunder.). She also skipped important periods in Ottoman history. Ottoman history is complicated and an experienced historian needs to spend much time studying it to get a complete and accurate historical record.This could have been a GREAT book, but because of all of its blunders and shortcomings, its not! So sad! For those readers looking for a recent GREAT book about the history of Istanbul, I'd consider Thomas F. Madden's biography of the city, Istanbul.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Joe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mystical, Visceral History
    Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Man, Bettany Hughes' books are always such a treat! You always know when you crack open the cover and dive into those 700 pages that you're not going to get straight history. Rather, you get a poetic description rich with content and...well...something that's not simple, linear history.

    Many great (and terrible) history books are all written in a similar, familiar style. They provide a connect-the-dots presentation of the content: books that are engaging and informative. At their best, they transport you into the past to really feel the culture and issues of that bygone era.

    Bettany Hughes new book, "Istanbul," (just like her previous two books) approaches history differently. It's complex--almost mythical, but always rooted in her extensive personal research and the most recent scholarship.

    Hughes uses beautiful prose to interweave past and present. She'll put you in a specific place--some little back alley of Istanbul... or anyplace!--and within a few sentences dazzle you with descriptions from antiquity and present of that one place. Past and present merge. Eras crash together. All history seems to synthesize. You feel it all at once. This isn't straight, linear history... it's mystical, visceral history!

    Reading "Istanbul" is a bit like being a geologist studying the layers of rock on a cliff face. There it all is, past and present together, piled in artful layers. You get a sense of both history and timelessness.

    That's not to say there's no linear, historical development in this book. There certainly is a good, old fashioned connect-the-dots, cause-and-effect telling of Istanbul's biography here. Hughes spends 700 pages walking us from antiquity to modernity. But if you pick up this book, open it to any chapter, read it, and you'll find a confluence of many historical streams flowing into that one moment and place.

    Reading this book is a joy in the same way "Helen of Troy" and "Hemlock Cup" were. I love Bettany Hughes' books! I bought both this book and her last one the day they arrived in the store. So, September 12, 2017 was a special day for me when this one hit the shelves. Reading her books can take you on quite a trip. They are a drug I quite enjoy!
    39 people found this helpful
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  • Suphan Andic
    4.0 out of 5 stars This is a good book, but several comments can be made regarding ...
    Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is a good book, but several comments can be made regarding its contents. The first section beginninhg with Byzantione and ending with the decline of the Byzantine Empire with the conquest of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmet II in 1453 is very detailed. Within this section I know the destruction of Old Rome, the establishment of New Rome and of the Byzantine Empire. I know in detail the 4th crusade by the Venetians in 1204 whose aim was Jerusalem, but who were so surprised by the beauty of Constantinople that they stayed there, destroyed it and returned to Venice with a variety of art works which today can be observed in Venice. The section is good in describing the discoveries the excavations have made during the construction of the tunnels in Istanbul. My comments refer to the Ottoman section of the book. Early in this section the book emphasizes the role of royal women praising them being the ones whose behavior in bath houses brought the renaissance by playing some role in the palace and/or requiring the construction of mosques. This is not renaissance. Subsequently it returns at length to their behavior in the harem, the way their dress, expresses in detail their behavior in bath houses, inviting guests there, including Lady Montagu and other European visitors. But with respect to events, especially with respect to battles between the Ottoman Empire and Europe, I find it explaining in detail those won by Europe, but mentioning extremely simply those in which Ottomans are defeated. For example, as the first siege of Vienna is concerned it is simply stated that the Ottomans had arrived to the walls of the city, but Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent withdraws due to inclement weather. However, the third siege of Vienna in 1683 by Sultan Mehmet IV occupies a whole chapter, even mentions the decapitation off the Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha who was the commander. Well, it was a successful event for the West. Also the sea battle of Lepanto in 1571, which is a defeat for the Ottomans, is analyzed in detail including the beheading of its commander Muezzinzade Ali Pasha. The Janissary corps is treated very lightly. There is no mention of the gradual decline of their organization after the reign of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, becoming a state in a state, changing viziers as well as killing them, dethroning and killing sultans, even raping them, appointing new ones , and becoming very powerful. Finally Sultan Abdulmecid I eliminates them in 1826. The author mentions their elimination in the list at the end of the book. My most important comment is the slight emphasis on the real renaissance during the reign of Sultan Ahmet III, which unfortunately lasted a short time. The author describes in detail the conquest and the development of the city thereafter with the Sultan Mehmet II increasing its population by bringing in migrants from different areas and undertaking new constructions in the city. The author refers to the successful achievements of the sultan also as renaissance, which it is not. The real renaissance occurred during the reign of Sultan Ahmet III together with his Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, but lasted unfortunately a short time. The author gives slight emphasis to this real renaissance.As Turkish history books do, the author also refers to this period as the Tulip Age. But in the Ottoman Empire the love for tulip is nothing new. Even before the reign of Sultan Ahmet III tulip was a favored flower. Moreover, the word lale (tulip) and Allah (God), when written in Arabic letters contain the same letters. Sultan Selim I had brought 50,000 bulbs from Aleppo; Sultan Murad III 300,000 bulbs from Crimea to plant in the gardens of the palace. According to Evliya Celebi there occurred a tulip market in Istanbul. But the age is not a Tulip Age. It is an Age that began with the activities of Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha and became the beginning of art, poetry, music, science and westernization, and the first -- and I insist the first -- and the last renaissance period. The great orientalist Bernard Lewis is of the same opinion. The changes it brought could not spread to the entire country; they occurred in Istanbul and to a certain extent in Konya and Nevsehir. A book is required to describe the developments that took place during this period. It was a period when liberal arts and thoughts developed, it was the beginning of an enlightenment in the fields of science, architecture, painting, miniature, music and poetry. For this purpose a movement towards the West occurred. Ibrahim Pasha succeeded in achieving only a part of what needed to be done. But because of the conditions of the society in which he lived it ended in 1730 with the rebellion led by the yeniceri Patrona Halil, as the author indicates in the list at the end of the book. This section should have been given more than its rightful due than the behavior of women described in several chapters.
    29 people found this helpful
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  • Francis O Walker
    5.0 out of 5 stars 3 cities--but 1,001 tales
    Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Bettany Hughes, in this marvelous book, paints a lush panorama of life in Istanbul from the iron age to the age of Erdogan. She tells us both what happened and what it felt like: sounds, sights, smells, tastes and touch. And, while all roads may have led to Rome, all waterways led to Istanbul, making it a city of superlatives and sometimes also of extremes—courage, urban development, upward mobility and freedom…but also cruelty, catastrophe, inequality and slavery. The role of women in the history of this remarkable city are highlighted as well. Lively, engaging and comprehensive, this book is a great introduction to the many faces of Istanbul as well as those within and how they affected the world. Highly recommended.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating and Enriching
    Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I read this as preparation for a three week vacation to Istanbul. Short chapters allow for measured reading, but you’ll wish they were longer. I want more. Informative, easy to read, and so interesting.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Mike
    5.0 out of 5 stars A readable, scholarly work
    Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This is a long but worthwhile read. Scholarly but almost unputdownable at the same time. A book to be savoured.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Dave
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I have read dozens of books about Istanbul and the crusaders over the years, this one stands out, all the important information but with a light touch and a lot of tidbits that we're new to me. Highly recommended.
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  • joyjit dey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very much informative
    Reviewed in India on November 2, 2022
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    Very much quality content
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  • Bryce Warnes
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good to read before you visit
    Reviewed in Canada on November 9, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I read this before visiting Istanbul on vacation and it made me appreciate the city and its history much better than I would have otherwise. A good approachable read that doesn't skimp on details or scholarly sources—there are lots of starting-off points if you'd like to do more historical reading about Istanbul or otherwise.
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  • Albbertt
    5.0 out of 5 stars maravilla
    Reviewed in Spain on May 20, 2019
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    Amazing book
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  • Chris Christofferson
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating read
    Reviewed in Germany on January 4, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    What history books should be about - not packed with dates, though there's and excellent "timeline" at the back - but providing the atmosphere of the times and putting it context with later and current developments. I've got Greek and Constantinopolitan affinities and this book has touched a cord. Also the tone and language is such that you've got difficulty setting the book down.
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