A review by melissadeemcdaniel
Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities by Bettany Hughes

4.0

This massive work by Bethany Hughes visits what must be the vast majority of Byzantine settlements all over the world as Hughes uncovers the wonders that were Byzantium/Constantinople/Istanbul. Art, architecture, literature, commerce, social history, politics, fashion, religion: the subjects tackled cover the spectrum of life in the city by the Bosporus from hundreds of years BC to the present. Note that the detailed timeline provided in the back is a useful reference as you travel through the history of the city. Be prepared to settle in for a long engagement with this book, but one that is very rewarding if you want to understand more about the role of this city which is so central to the politically turbulent region in which it stands.