 | |
| Author | Richard Fidler |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Subject | History, Constantinople |
| Publisher | (HarperCollinsPublishers Australia) |
Publication date | 2016 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 492 |
| ISBN | 978-0733335259 |
| OCLC | 942532667 |
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.
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]
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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.
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.