Istanbul: City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World (New York: Penguin/Viking, 2016)
"A wonderfully vivid and clear account . . . [Madden is] a skilled narrator, negotiating the twists and turns in the city’s destiny."
-- The Economist
"A major 'biography' of a city at the center of the world, Madden documents the history of the place that has been home to Greeks and Ottomans, Muslims and Jews, the ancient world and the society of the future."
-- Time
"Condensing Istanbul’s history in a single volume is a daunting challenge; the book is a great success, and one with no lack of drama. . . . Even the careless reader will be much enlightened by the book, as good an introduction to Istanbul and its splendors as one could hope to have."
-- National Review
"Students of history and general readers alike will benefit from the insight and vignettes presented in this fascinating narrative."
-- Library Journal
"An illuminating journey through the history and culture of the metropolis that 'still towers over all other cities in Europe and the Middle East.'"
-- Kirkus Reviews
"No place has had a better claim than Istanbul to being the historical center of our planet -- capital to multiple empires, a focal point of Christianity and Islam, and now a global transport and commercial hub. Writing with verve and sympathy, Thomas F. Madden weaves scholarship, travel, and literature into a compelling narrative of crushing loss and unexpected renewal."
-- Charles King, author of Midnight at the Pera Palace: The Birth of Modern Istanbul
"A wonderfully vivid and clear account . . . [Madden is] a skilled narrator, negotiating the twists and turns in the city’s destiny."
-- The Economist
"A major 'biography' of a city at the center of the world, Madden documents the history of the place that has been home to Greeks and Ottomans, Muslims and Jews, the ancient world and the society of the future."
-- Time
"Condensing Istanbul’s history in a single volume is a daunting challenge; the book is a great success, and one with no lack of drama. . . . Even the careless reader will be much enlightened by the book, as good an introduction to Istanbul and its splendors as one could hope to have."
-- National Review
"Students of history and general readers alike will benefit from the insight and vignettes presented in this fascinating narrative."
-- Library Journal
"An illuminating journey through the history and culture of the metropolis that 'still towers over all other cities in Europe and the Middle East.'"
-- Kirkus Reviews
"No place has had a better claim than Istanbul to being the historical center of our planet -- capital to multiple empires, a focal point of Christianity and Islam, and now a global transport and commercial hub. Writing with verve and sympathy, Thomas F. Madden weaves scholarship, travel, and literature into a compelling narrative of crushing loss and unexpected renewal."
-- Charles King, author of Midnight at the Pera Palace: The Birth of Modern Istanbul