The Sultan of Byzantium - Softcover

Selcuk Altun

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1846591481 ISBN 13: 9781846591488

Publisher: Telegram Books, 2012

Synopsis

Fighting the Ottoman invaders in Constantinople in 1453, Emperor Constantine XI was killed, his body never found.

Legend has it that he escaped in a Genoese ship, cheating certain death at the hands of the Turks and earning himself the title of Immortal Emperor.

Five centuries after his disappearance, three mysterious men contact a young professor living in Istanbul. Members of a secret sect, they have guarded the Immortal Emperor s will for generations. They tell him that he is the next Byzantine emperor and that in order to take possession of his fortune he must carry out his ancestor s last wishes.

The professor embarks on a dangerous journey, taking him to the heart of a mystery of epic historical significance.

The Sultan of Byzantium is a symbiosis of story and history and a homage to Byzantine civilisation.

About this title

Review:

'The novel, translated from Turkish by Clifford and Selahn Endres, is punctuated by the literate wit of the author, whose extraordinary range of references extends from ancient authors to modern crime fiction. This is a hugely enjoyable crash-course in imperial bloodbaths, plus a travelogue, interwoven with snippets of poetry.' Independent

'Readers tired of the endless Da Vinci Code knockoffs will find Altun's variation on the theme a refreshing one. Turkish economics professor Halas Araboglu's quiet life is upended when he receives a letter from Nikos Askaris promising "excellent news", and requesting that the academic bring a 15th-century map drawn by a Florentine priest to their meeting. Naturally curious, Araboglu attends, to be greeted with the mind-blowing news that he is actually a descendant of the last Byzantine emperor, and thus the emperor-in-exile the Byzantine has been awaiting for over 500 years. He accedes to carry out the tasks Askaris assigns him as necessary to fulfilling his new role-two months of study, followed by a testing process requiring him to solve a riddle in his ancestor's will. Altun beautifully incorporates details about the Byzantine Empire less familiar to Western audiences, as well as healthy injections of wry humor, into this riveting escapade.' Publishers Weekly

'Sultan is first and most definitely a carefully executed mystery....What are you, some kind of aristocratic character escaped from a romantic novel? asks the comely professor of the narrator/protagonist, who fits this description so perfectly. He also may or may not be The Sultan of Byzantium of Selçuk Altun's absorbing novel. The longest-lasting and most satisfying intrigue is that readers never learn the name of the narrator, a dashing economics professor, until the book s conclusion. How it is revealed, resolving many a loose end, is well worth the journey getting there. newpages.com

'Now in English, Altun's novel rightly claims its place among the works of world literature through its brilliantly constructed plot and offers an intriguing read for readers and scholars of world literature.' World Literature Today

'This is a beautifully written thriller that draws the reader into its grasp from the first page onwards.' --The Good Book Guide

"This is a beautifully written thriller that draws the reader into its grasp from the first page onwards." --The Good Book Guide

"Sultan is first and most definitely a carefully executed mystery....What are you, some kind of aristocratic character escaped from a romantic novel? asks the comely professor of the narrator/protagonist, who fits this description so perfectly. He also may or may not be The Sultan of Byzantium of Selçuk Altun s absorbing novel. The longest-lasting and most satisfying intrigue is that readers never learn the name of the narrator, a dashing economics professor, until the book s conclusion. How it is revealed, resolving many a loose end, is well worth the journey getting there." --newpages.com

About the Author:

Selcuk Altun was born in Artvin, Turkey in 1950. He is a retired banking executive and bibliophile. His previous novels, Songs My Mother Never Taught Me (9781846590535) and Many and Many a Year Ago (9781846590672) are also published by Telegram. He lives in Istanbul.

About the translators: Clifford Endres is the Head of American Literature at Has University in Istanbul. He is the author of Austin City Limits (University of Texas, 1987) and Joannes Secundus (Archon Books, 1981).

Selhan Endres teaches in the department of American Literature at Has University. Her essays are published in international periodicals.

About this edition

• Publisher: Telegram Books
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1846591481
• ISBN 13: 9781846591488
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 287