An Armchair Traveller's History of Istanbul: City of Remembering and Forgetting Hardcover – March 19, 2013

Not a typical tourist guide of you must go here and then here. it chats about everything underlying what you will see -- the history of Istanbul, the culture, etc. So, not a directive book, but one giving more background and flavor of the city.

My husband ordered this prior to a trip to Istanbul. He said that it rambled and at times it was hard to follow but gave him a lot of insight into the history of Istanbul.

Attended reading of book by author at Powell's Book Store, after I had purchased the book for an upcoming trip to Istanbul. I'm looking forward to checking out some of the recommendations.

In addition to being a delightful read, this book belongs on your packing list if you are heading for Istanbul, or on your reading list even if you are not.

So well written! Tillinghast blends history, culture and travel writing in a seductive way. I found myself caught up in the magic of Istanbul.

This is a meandering, sophisticated history/ travelogue of Istanbul that is a pleasant, unhurried look at the city and its past.

FIRST LINE REVIEW: "Anyone who knows Istanbul will tell you that the best way to arrive in the Queen of Cities is by sea." Well, I won't be arriving that way (sadly) but this excellently written travelogue/history has prepared me very well to experience the richly varied dimensions of this ancient city that has now become one of the most significant in the world. Tillinghast helped me smell the streets, taste the food, appreciate the art and understand the history of this exciting place. Time to start packing my bags and go visit the Queen!

I would compare this book to a mosaic, somewhat like one of those described in it so adroitly by Tillinghast. Through a skillful arrangement of historical, cultural and artistic tesserae, we're given a multi-dimensional view of Istanbul / Constantinople / Byzantium, with each facet of its composition interlinked ingeniously to create a work displaying the artist's rich depth and breadth of knowledge and experience. Perhaps because the writer is a poet, the book has a very personal, even intimate feel to it, as if Tillinghast wrote it for no other reason than to share with the reader his deep and abiding affection for the city, gained through a lifetime's relationship with it that has only grown stronger and deeper with age. I would recommend this book to anyone who prefers a soulful and deeply insightful view of Istanbul to a more fastidious, perhaps, but less loving one written by a professional scholar or academic.

This otherwise beautifully produced book screams out for some decent maps, to clarify a rather self-indulgent, scattered and difficult-to-navigate text. Instead, it has an endpaper-map that is almost wilfully inadequate. Like the words, it fails to give the city shape and identity.