| Istanbul : The Imperial City by John Freely Paperback - 432
pages (July 1998) Penguin USA
Amazon
 Synopsis Straddling the narrow straits of
the Bosphorus dividing Europe and Asia, Istanbul has been an unrivaled locus of
cultural exchange since its beginnings more than 26 centuries ago, under three
different namesfirst as the Greek colony Byzantium, then Constantinople in A.D.
330, and Istanbul in 1453. Despite the onslaughts of time, a local character
and spirit have abided. This is a guide to the city for the curious traveler as
well as an evocation of its illustrious past. color & 25 b&w illus. 4
map. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this
title.
Review: Marvelous book! This well written and richly illustrated book
takes the reader on a breathtaking tour of the remarkable city of Istanbul.
From antiquity through the Byzantine era, all the way up to the rise and fall
of the Ottoman Empire -- Freely doesn't stint his reader one bit. Although the
approach is anecdotal, the author distills the essence of each period under
discussion with literary panache. A special annex at the end of the book (which
itself is about a quarter of the text) offers an extensive discussion of some
of the monuments mentioned in the preceding narrative. An ideal companion, if
you're planning a trip to Istanbul. Or, if you're an armchair traveler like me,
this book will bring the imperial city directly to you.
|
| Ancient Turkey : A Traveller's History by Seton Lloyd Paperback
- 240 pages (May 1999) Univ California Press; Amazon
 Synopsis: Lloyd traces the many different cultures that
have been a part of Turkey from prehistoric times to the Christian era. He
recounts the exploits of the Hittite kings, the confrontation of Croesus and
the Persian king Cyrus, the conquests of Alexander the Great, and Mithridates'
epic resistance against Rome. Archaeological landmarks discussed include the
discovery of the Alaca Huyuk tombs, the attempts to establish the location of
Troy, and the opening of the Tomb of Midas. Lloyd shows how each successive
culture has left its mark on an astonishing variety of sites, from the shrines
of Catal Huyuk to the temples of Ephesus and the churches founded by St. Paul.
|
| Ottoman Centuries : The Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire by
Lord Kinross Paperback (September 1988) William Morrow & Co Amazon
 Review: Now that's what I call history! If
all history books were written in the same style as this one, I might never
have flunked history myself! A long, complicated series of events are presented
in a fast moving, logical, most interesting & unfussy way. It's just a
pleasure to read Lord Kinross' exquisite English. It's also a pleasure to share
his deep knowledge & love of the subject. I found the first three-quarters
of the book slightly more enjoyable, quite simply because it dealt with larger
than life central characters operating successfully & disastrously, but
always with complete authority. Sultans from the magnificent, to all manner of
absolute crackpots, are described in all their glory, or lack of same. Do your
self a favour & read this book. It's arguably the easiest & most
entertaining way I have found to improve one's history!
|
| Turkey; A Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit by Tom Brosnahan,
Pat Yale Paperback - 760 pages 7 edition (March 2001) Lonely Planet
Publications;
Amazon
 Review: The only guide for
budget travelling! I just returned from travelling through Turkey with a
Turkish friend who lives in Germany, and despite his familiarity with the
country and cities, we both heavily relied upon the LP guide for information on
lodging, historical sites, off-the-beaten-track towns, and other fun and
interesting places to visit. It is a fabulous book, and the only one worth
paying for to use for such a trip. All other travellers I encountered (who
weren't on pre-planned tours or paying $200/night at the Hilton) were using the
LP guide, whether from North America, Australia, or Europe. Great information,
very comprehensive, aimed at budget travellers! Enjoy! --This text refers to
the paperback edition of this title
|
| Lonely Planet Istanbul (3nd Ed) by Tom Brosnahan Paperback - 248
pages 3nd edition (Feb 2002) Lonely Planet Amazon
 Review Detailed overview allows good trip
planning This book was easy to use and effective when planning my trip. Good
overview of the key places to see, thus easy to select the key things to do.
The hotel lists allowed me to e-mail the hotels, get prices, and make my
reservations, along with using Yahoo/Excite/Fodors sites/listings to get hotel
info. Small size and inexpensive price make it 1st of a core set of books to
have. Start with this one then get an expanded one for more details.
|
| Turkey : A Modern History by Erik J. Zurcher Paperback - 245
pages Revised edition (January 1998) St Martins Pr
Amazon
 Review Useful history of modern Turkey This is an
interesting book that starts in the declining Ottoman empire of the nineteenth
century and follows developments of that time forward to quite recent events in
Turkey of today, concentrating on political and economic issues. The author
clearly knows his stuff and the information is thoughtfully presented. Because
this book covers a lot of ground, it usually doesn't go into a lot of depth on
any given set of events. My main criticism is that the author tends to compress
his version of events in such a way that important points are often obscured or
presented extremely briefly. This makes the book sometimes hard to follow.
Nonetheless this is a good overview for anyone interested in Turkey. I came
away with a renewed admiration for Ataturk and what he managed to accomplish. I
would recommend it to anyone interested in this topic.
|
| Eyewitness Travel Guide: Istanbul by Deni Bown Paperback - 272
pages 1 Amer Ed edition (May 1998) DK Publishing;
Amazon
 Review: the best on Istanbul The maps are the most
useful of any of the Istanbul travel books I have seen; although this book
gives history and analysis, it is not too in depth, as the Knopf book can be,
so that you lose sight of where you are. The tours laid out in this book
contain references to small cafes and shops and restaurants that none of the
others do. It is a 1998 version so is very up-to-date. Excellent book.
|
 Let's Go 2003 : Turkey (Let's Go Series) by
Semra Mesulam (Editor) Paperback - 576 pages Rev&Updtd edition (December
2002) St Martins Pr;
Amazon
|
| Open Road's Turkey Guide: 2nd Edition by Adam Peck, Manja Sachet
Paperback - 640 pages 2nd edition (May 1999) Open Road Pub Amazon
 Review: The Best Travel Guide on Turkey Open
Road's Turkey Guide is one of the best travel guides I've used in any country.
The authors' profound cultural and historical understanding of Turkey is
expressed in a readable and entertaining style. The hotel reccomendations are
right on target for comfortable lodging in places with character. The suggested
itineraries at the beginning of the book helped us decide among the many great
areas of the country to explore. The book led us to the brilliant, contorted
rockscape of Cappadoccia, (with thousands of caves carved by early Christians);
to extraordinary ancient ruins; and to pristine beaches. Turkey is a great
country for travel and Turkey Guide shows you how to do it right.
|
| Ephesos Metropolis of Asia : An Interdisciplinary Approach to
Its Archaeology, Religion, and Culture (Harvard Theological Studies, No 41) by
Helmut Koester (Editor), Harvard Divinity School, Harvard university Paperback
- 357 pages (January 1996) Trinity Pr Intl; Amazon
 Reviews This volume brings together studies
of Ephesos - a major city in the Greco-Roman period and a primary center for
the spread of Christianity into the Western world - by an international array
of scholars from the fields of classics, fine arts, history of religion, New
Testament, ancient Christianity, and archaeology. The studies were presented at
a spring 1994 Harvard Divinity School symposium on Ephesos, focusing on the
results of one hundred years of archaeological work at Ephesos by members of
the Austrian Archaeological Institute. The contributors to this volume discuss
some of the most interesting and controversial results of recent
investigations: the Processional Way of Artemis, the Hadrianic Olympieion and
the Church of Mary, the so-called Temple of Domitian, and the heroa of
Androklos and Arsinoe. Since very little about the Austrian excavations at
Ephesos has been published in English, this volume should prove useful in
introducing the archaeology of this metropolis to a wider readership.
|
| Pergamon Citadel of the Gods : Archaelogical Record, Literary
Description, and Religious Development (Harvard Theological Studies, No 46) by
Helmut Koester (Editor) Hardcover - 400 pages (November 1998) Trinity Pr Intl;
Amazon
From the Back Cover Pergamon, a center of the Roman imperial
cult and one of the "seven churches" of Revelation 2, is referred to
as "where Satan's throne is" and "where Satan lives." Now,
for the first time, a comprehensive interdisciplinary discussion of this
influential city from Hellenistic to Byzantine times has been developed.
Pergamon--Citadel of the Gods includes comprehensive descriptions of the
ancient city's famous temples and sanctuaries by German archaeologists who
excavated them. In addition, leading European and American scholars in the
fields of classics and New Testament studies provide interpretive essays.
Richly illustrated with photographs, drawings, maps, and plans, this volume is
destined to become the most definitive study ever published in English on this
important Hellenistic and Roman city.
|
| St. Paul in Ephesus and the Cities of Galatia and Cyprus (In the
Footsteps of the Saints) by Otto Friedrich August Meinardus Hardcover (April
1979) Melissa Media; Amazon
|
The
Letter to the Ephesians by Peter T. O'Brien (probably the best
commentary on Ephesians today)
|
