A review by tasmanian_bibliophile
A Place Called Armageddon by C.C. Humphreys
4.0
‘And I am here to take your city.’
By 1453, the walled city of Constantinople is all that remains of the once magnificent Byzantine Empire. One hundred thousand Ottoman (Turkish) soldiers, led by Sultan Mehmet II, want to take Constantinople from the Byzantines. Possession of the city the Ottomans refer to as the Red Apple will serve as a sign of supremacy over the Christian infidels.
As the Byzantine Empire has crumbled, so have Constantinople’s walls. Defending the city will not be easy for the small force of ten thousand led by the Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos. And, as history tells us, Mehmet triumphed.
While Mehmet and Constantine are central, the story of the siege is told through the lives and struggles of other characters. On the Byzantine (Greek) side, the primary characters are twin brothers Gregoras and Theon Lascaris. Gregoras, now a mercenary, has been disgraced, and returns to Constantinople from exile. Theon is in favour as a member of Constantine’s court. The brothers are very different in a number of ways, and there are reasons for the distrust between them. On the Ottoman side, the key characters include Hamza Bey, an adviser to Mehmet, and Achmed, a peasant farmer who is part of the first group of men to attack the walls.
Another of the strengths of this novel is its descriptions of the battles (both on land and at sea), and of the people involved. The Scotsman John Grant (Johannes le Grant), is an engineer on the Byzantine side who is tasked with the rediscovery of Greek fire. The Ottomans have their huge siege cannon, with a formidable destructive capacity. And among the weapons, the blood and the dirt are people on both sides who are fighting for a variety of reasons. The alternating views which tell the story enable a more complete view of the conduct of the siege and its consequences. It isn’t just a story about the fighting: there is political intrigue; family and romantic drama and (sometimes) some humour. There is an abundance of characters: Genoans and Venetians are also involved in the struggle and while it’s hard at times to remember what part each person played each has a role in either the actual history or the dramatic development of the story.
Mr Humphreys also provides a bibliography which will be of interest to those wanting to learn more about the historical basis of the novel.
I enjoyed the way that Mr Humphreys brought the events of the siege to life: in keeping with the times, there are fortune tellers and prophecies, alchemy and superstition. Both sides have their heroes and villains; each has its elements of tragedy. And for some of our characters, the future held happiness.
‘It was over. Constantinople had fallen.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
By 1453, the walled city of Constantinople is all that remains of the once magnificent Byzantine Empire. One hundred thousand Ottoman (Turkish) soldiers, led by Sultan Mehmet II, want to take Constantinople from the Byzantines. Possession of the city the Ottomans refer to as the Red Apple will serve as a sign of supremacy over the Christian infidels.
As the Byzantine Empire has crumbled, so have Constantinople’s walls. Defending the city will not be easy for the small force of ten thousand led by the Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos. And, as history tells us, Mehmet triumphed.
While Mehmet and Constantine are central, the story of the siege is told through the lives and struggles of other characters. On the Byzantine (Greek) side, the primary characters are twin brothers Gregoras and Theon Lascaris. Gregoras, now a mercenary, has been disgraced, and returns to Constantinople from exile. Theon is in favour as a member of Constantine’s court. The brothers are very different in a number of ways, and there are reasons for the distrust between them. On the Ottoman side, the key characters include Hamza Bey, an adviser to Mehmet, and Achmed, a peasant farmer who is part of the first group of men to attack the walls.
Another of the strengths of this novel is its descriptions of the battles (both on land and at sea), and of the people involved. The Scotsman John Grant (Johannes le Grant), is an engineer on the Byzantine side who is tasked with the rediscovery of Greek fire. The Ottomans have their huge siege cannon, with a formidable destructive capacity. And among the weapons, the blood and the dirt are people on both sides who are fighting for a variety of reasons. The alternating views which tell the story enable a more complete view of the conduct of the siege and its consequences. It isn’t just a story about the fighting: there is political intrigue; family and romantic drama and (sometimes) some humour. There is an abundance of characters: Genoans and Venetians are also involved in the struggle and while it’s hard at times to remember what part each person played each has a role in either the actual history or the dramatic development of the story.
Mr Humphreys also provides a bibliography which will be of interest to those wanting to learn more about the historical basis of the novel.
I enjoyed the way that Mr Humphreys brought the events of the siege to life: in keeping with the times, there are fortune tellers and prophecies, alchemy and superstition. Both sides have their heroes and villains; each has its elements of tragedy. And for some of our characters, the future held happiness.
‘It was over. Constantinople had fallen.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith