1453

A fresh take on the 1453 conquest of Constantinople that will challenge readers in history and classics to reconsider traditional interpretations. * Margaret Heller, Library Journal *
Prolific revisionist historian of the Byzantine Empire Anthony Kaldellis returns to the fray with this meticulously researched analysis of the final act, the Ottoman siege and conquest of Constantinople in 1453. Was the outcome a foregone conclusion, as historians have been telling us for hundreds of years? This powerful narrative of hope and tragedy brings the evidence vividly before our eyes and challenges us to think again. * Roderick Beaton, author of Europe: A New History *
A captivating blow-by-blow account of one of the most important military confrontations in history. * Nicholas Morton, author of The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East *
With careful analysis of old sources and recent scholarship, this fresh investigation makes for a high-stakes dramatic narrative. The twists and turns of the story are a good reminder of the contingency of history-that individual choices and actions have consequences. * Leonora Neville, author of Anna Komnene: The Life and Work of a Medieval Historian *
Anthony Kaldellis’s compelling study of the final collapse of the Eastern Roman Empire advances a striking reassessment of both its demise and its broader historical significance. * Thomas Filbin, The Arts Fuse *
A bracing, much-needed retelling of the fall of the Queen of Cities to the Ottoman Turks… Kaldellis provides a fresh perspective. * Alberto Fernandez, National Catholic Register *
Kaldellis reconstructs the campaign afresh from Latin, Italian, Greek, Russian and Turkish sources… [His] enthusiasm is surprisingly infectious. * The Times (London) *
Richly-layered… an accomplished Byzantist, [Kaldellis] knows his material well and assembles it to dramatic effect. * Justin Marozzi, The Spectator *
A triumph * George Woodhuysen, The Wall Street Journal *
Kaldellis’ book offers much, is a pleasure to read, is mercifully brief, and deserves to be widely read. * Jeremy Black, University of Exeter *
Riveting, passionate, indignant, eloquent… Kaldellis never discards his academic rigor, as befits a preeminent historian of Byzantium. * Tunku Varadarajan, Washington Free Beacon *

Anthony Kaldellis is a leading historian and a professor of Classics at the University of Chicago, specializing in Greek historiography, Plato, and Byzantine Studies. He has published numerous books and articles on the history, culture, and literature of Byzantium, covering the period from the fourth to the fifteenth centuries. His previous publications include The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium (2023). He is also the host of the podcast “Byzantium & Friends.”

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