Ghost Empire (Unabridged)
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4.2 • 18 Ratings
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- $18.99
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
Ghost Empire is a rare treasure - an utterly captivating blend of the historical and the contemporary, realised by a master storyteller.
In 2014, Richard Fidler and his son Joe made a journey to Istanbul.
Fired by Richard's passion for the rich history of the dazzling Byzantine Empire - centred around the legendary Constantinople - we are swept into some of the most extraordinary tales in history. The clash of civilisations, the fall of empires, the rise of Christianity, revenge, lust, murder. Turbulent stories from the past are brought vividly to life at the same time as a father navigates the unfolding changes in his relationship with his son. GHOST EMPIRE is a revelation: a beautifully written ode to a lost civilisation, and a warmly observed father-son adventure far from home.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In Ghost Empire, broadcaster, author and history enthusiast Richard Fidler invites us to explore the tumultuous thousand-year lifespan of Byzantium—the period when Roman rule was centred in Constantinople (now Istanbul). Stories of power-hungry emperors, passionate affairs and bloody battles are interwoven with vignettes of a trip Fidler and his fourteen-year-old son Joe took to Turkey in 2014. These modern-day musings quickly become the beating heart of the book, as Fidler reflects movingly on his evolving relationship with teenaged Joe. The account of the Romans begins with the end of the Empire. In 1453 Ottoman sultan Mehmed, with an army of soldiers “as numerous as the stars”, finally conquered Constantinople. The narrative then backtracks to the birth of the “all-golden city” in 330 and beyond, interrogating the forces that shaped this influential civilisation. Who better to narrate this absorbing story than Fidler himself? The reading is infused with his infectious curiosity and immense enthusiasm for the subject.
