Midnight at the Pera Palace: The Birth of Modern Istanbul, (Paperback)

from Shrike58

Dealing with the themes of transition, transience and transformation in the demise of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of the Turkish Republic, King hangs much of his tale on the rise and fall of the hotel the Pera Palace, which originated as a destination created by the firm who ran the fabled Or...

from bdtrump

I received an Advance Reading Copy via GoodReads First Reads program.King's work is richly detailed in the time period between the end of the 19th Century and the middle of the 20th, with focus not just on Istanbul but on the Ottoman Empire/Turkey in general as well. The stories told are incredib...

from pierthinker

A mainly social history of the development of modern Istanbul in Turkey through the 20th century. The book uses the construction and life of the Pera Palace Hotel as a loose focus for the great changes occurring in Istanbul from the end of the Ottoman Empire through the creation of the Republic a...

from palu

I liked the way the writer included historical facts among everyday life. I also liked his intention to put the Hotel as a way to show theses changes. In fact, the Hotel role was missed through the book with much more emphasis in the political situation and the Jews fate during the WW II.About th...

from steve02476

Superb history of Instanbul, concentrating on the first half of the 20th century, but with background going all the way back in history. Great writing.