Suleiman the Magnificent with Christopher de Bellaigue
Subject to Change
English - February 11, 2023 23:00 - 57 minutes - 39.5 MB - ★★★★★ - 19 ratingsEducation News history politics education arts film economics conversation long form liberal controversy Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Previous Episode: Slavery in the Mediterranean in the Middle Ages
Next Episode: The Salem Witch trials with Stacy Schiff
Christopher de Bellaigue's book The Lion House is a brilliant history of the first part of Suleiman the Magnificent's reign. I love history and I can't remember loving a history book more that this one. As I say in the podcast, I think it is an unabashed masterpiece and such a pleasure to read. Christopher tells the story in particular of two men at the court of Suleiman and their struggle to rise and prosper in extraordinarily difficult times. And it is the story also of Suleiman's love for his concubine (and later wife) Hurrem. Christopher is not only a great writer, he is also a superb conversationalist and I think this is an episode that everyone will enjoy.