Istanbul (Great Cities) [Hardcover]

Sharon Amos (Author), Klaus H Carl (Photographer)

Book Description

Series: Great Cities | Publication Date: May 1999

The city is located on the banks of the Sea of Marmara, a link between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Istanbul has always been a place of continuous architectural renewal, as its rich historical heritage and vastly different civilizations have been intermingled, ever since the city was first consecrated by Emperor Constantine in 330 AD. This book offers would-be strollers a sense of the complex and fascinating history of Constantinople, alongside the attractions of modern Turkey's Istanbul.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sharon Amos is an author and freelance journalist specializing in gardening. Her previous books include "Celebrations," "Garden Wisdom," "Pulbrook and Gould Flowers" and "Plants for Free,"

Carl is a German writer, photographer, and teacher.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Parkstone Press (May 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1859955886
• ISBN-13: 978-1859955888
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 9.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,604,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Warning: Defective and Cheesy, May 11, 2005

By 

Michael (Silver Spring, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Istanbul (Great Cities) (Hardcover)

I ordered this book under the delusion that it was the thoughtful and lavishly illustrated study (with the same title) I had read in the mid-90's. On learning that it was only a gushy coffee table book with all the acumen and depth of a holiday brochure, I still hoped it would have beautiful photographs.

Wrong! Not only are the subjects poorly chosen - only the most famous landmarks are represented, providing the most superficial picture of Istanbul - but most of the large photos are outrageously blurred. Leafing through it makes you feel like Mr. Magoo, and the only explanation I can think of is that these were cheap photos from some child's disc camera (remember those?) blown up to centerfold size. All you can make out are the shapes and the colors of things. Any details - the whole reason for looking at pictures of the Hagia Sofia's mosaics or the Iznik tiles of the Topkapi Saray - were washed out by the book's stingy production. My "favorite" is a close-up of the exquisite Topkapi Dagger that makes the famed weapon look like a green banana.

Avoid this rip-off and buy the Knopf Guide to Istanbul instead; though a small paperback, it is far more beautiful and sharply detailed than this mess could ever hope to be.