The Great Betrayal, Ernle Bradford
The Great Betrayal, Ernle Bradford
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The Great Betrayal
The Great Siege of Constantinople

Author: Ernle Bradford

Narrator: Michael Page

Unabridged: 7 hr 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/07/2023

Synopsis

An engrossing chronicle of the Fourth Crusade and the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, from the bestselling author of Thermopylae.

At the dawn of the thirteenth century, Constantinople stood as the bastion of Christianity in Eastern Europe. The capital city of the Byzantine Empire, it was a center of art, culture, and commerce that had commanded trading routes between Asia, Russia, and Europe for hundreds of years. But in 1204, the city suffered a devastating attack that would spell the end of the Holy Roman Empire.

The army of the Fourth Crusade had set out to reclaim Jerusalem, but under the sway of their Venetian patrons, the crusaders diverted from their path in order to lay siege to Constantinople. With longstanding tensions between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, the crusaders set arms against their Christian neighbors, destroying a vital alliance between Eastern and Western Rome.

In The Great Betrayal, historian Ernle Bradford brings to life this powerful tale of envy and greed, demonstrating the far-reaching consequences this siege would have across Europe for centuries to come.

About Ernle Bradford

Ernle Bradford was born in 1922 and died in 1986. He was a noted British historian specializing in the Mediterranean world and naval topics. Bradford was an enthusiastic sailor himself and spent almost thirty years sailing the Mediterranean, where many of his books are set. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, finishing as the first lieutenant of a destroyer. Bradford lived in Malta for a number of years. He did occasional broadcast work for the BBC, was a magazine editor, and wrote many books, including Hannibal, Paul the Traveller, Julius Caesar: The Pursuit of Power, Christopher Columbus, and The Mighty Hood.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Rindis

Even if the title didn't clue you in, Bradford wastes no time and pulls no punches letting you know what he thinks of the fall of Constantinople to the Fourth Crusade. He begins with the arrival of the Venetian fleet in the Sea of Mamara, and the initial clashes before going back and laying the grou......more

Goodreads review by Daniel

Long have I been fascinated by the Eastern Roman Empire, or as its better known to us, the Byzantine Empire. We are taught that the Roman Empire collapsed in 476 AD, the year that Rome finally fell to the Ostrogoths. But, the Eastern Roman Empire lasted for nearly 1000 years after, centered around t......more

Goodreads review by Michael

Bradford loves Constantinople: the culture, the art, the politics, the people. It was the greatest city in the world, even as its once vaunted military decayed. In the 13th century, the city was sacked by the Fourth Crusade, leaving it a husk that was finally plucked by the Turks centuries later. In......more

Goodreads review by Clem

It happens. Not often, but it happens. I’ll buy a book based on its cover and title, without knowing anything about the historical event, and I’ll end up feeling much more learned, enriched, and educated. I come away with a sense of victory that I ‘accidentally’ discovered a great book. This book wa......more

Goodreads review by Peter C Lyon

For Prime members, this book is a steal because of the gripping writing and incisive research. However, it's a bit dated (1986) and uses some antiquated terms (Saracens). In Kindle, it also lacks maps and has a few scanning errors. But don't let that stop you.......more

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