A Place Called Armageddon
The epic battle of Constantinople, 1453
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
'A great tale, finely woven with action, palpably real characters and terrific twists of fate' Simon Scarrow
'Bernard Cornwell is good, but Humphreys is better' Historical Novels Review
An epic new novel about one of Western civilisation's most traumatic events - the Fall of Constantinople...
Constantinople. For a thousand years, the city was the heart of the vast Byzantine empire. Beloved of Greeks. Coveted by Turks.
1453. The empire has shrunk to what lies within its no-longer magnificent walls. Yet for one man, Constantinople is the stepping stone to destiny. Mehmet 11, just twenty when he is anointed Sultan, brings an army of one hundred thousand, outnumbering the defenders ten to one, and the most deadly threat the city has ever faced - the largest cannon in the world.
But a city is more than stone, its fate inseparable from its citizens'. Like Gregoras, mercenary and exile, returning to the hated place he once loved. Theon, his twin - and betrayer. Sofia, loved by two brothers, forced to choose between them. And Leilah, mystic and assassin, seeking her own destiny in the flames...
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Humphreys (Vlad: The Last Confession) offers a strong work of historical fiction set in the 19450s, about the battle of Mehmet, sultan of the Ottoman Turks, to conquer Constantinople, a target that has eluded the Muslims for generations. He approaches Constantinople with an insurmountable force. Standing against him is a unified front of Greeks, Italian allies and mercenaries, including Gregoras Lascaris, exiled from Constantinople after being wrongly accused of treachery, and disfigured. He is brought against his will to defend his city, find a lost manuscript for his new lover, Leilah, and confront Sofia, the woman he left behind. He discovers that Sofia is married to his treacherous brother Theon, and has a son who is actually Gregoras's. Gregoras fights to defend his city, regain his honor, and protect the people he loves, but he risks losing all against the inexorable encroachment of the Turks. Humphreys' skill with historical fiction is apparent on every page, and his ability to handle the large cast without tripping up readers is impressive. While the conquest is a foregone conclusion, Humphreys creates suspense and empathy for both sides of the conflict. Readers will enjoy reading a little-heard tale.