The Bridge: A Journey Between Orient and Occident

Description

The Bridge is a charming, learned and unique gem of a book by the author of the international bestseller In Europe. Istanbul's Galata Bridge has spanned the Golden Horn since the sixth century AD, connecting the old city with the more Western districts to the north. But the bridge is a city in itself, peopled by merchants and petty thieves, tourists and fishermen, and at the same time a microcosmic reflection of Turkey as the link between Asia and Europe.Geert Mak introduces us to the woman who sells lottery tickets, the cigarette vendors and the best pickpockets in Europe. He tells us about the pride of the cobbler and the tea-seller's homesickness. And he describes the role of honour in Turkish culture, the temptations of fundamentalism and violence, and the urge to survive, even in the face of despair.These stories of the bridge's denizens are interwoven with vignettes illuminating moments in the history of Istanbul and Turkey and shedding light on Turkey's relationship with Europe and the West, the Armenian question, the migration from the Turkish countryside to the city and the demise of the Ottoman Empire.The Bridge is a charming, learned and unique gem of a book by the author of the international bestseller In Europe.

Geert Mak is a journalist and historian, and one of The Netherlands' bestselling writers; his books include Jorwerd, Amsterdam and In Europe, and have won many prizes.

This gem of a history book is slim enough to squeeze into the smallest piece of carry-on luggage but contains a wealth of stories about Istanbul's famous Galata bridge...Weaving the long history of the bridge with those who populate it today, the sensitive Mak shines a light on contemporary Turkey and its changing relationship with the rest of Europe * Sunday Telegraph * Geert Mak introduces us to the city's denizen and history, stressing the symbolic importance of the bridge to a nation that sees itself as the meeting place between Europe and Asia * London Review of Books * Geert Mak's thoughtful travelogue sketches out Istanbul's past, and provides a touching portrait of its present inhabitants... his thoughtful, beautifully written book is suffused with respect for the richness of the individual life * Independent * Stories from the heart of a travelogue written with sympathy and acute observation * Financial Times * Part history lesson, part cultural essay, The Bridge's slender size does not diminish it's riches -- Viola Fort * Guardian *