A comprehensive account of the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 examines the end of the Byzantine Empire and of the medieval era in light of the rise of two separate worlds--the West and the Middle East--as well as the implications of the siege for the relationship between the West and Islam. Reprint. 25,000 first printing. List of Illustrations ix Maps x Prologue: The Red Apple 1(8) The Burning Sea 9(14) Dreaming of Istanbul 23(14) Sultan and Emperor 37(15) Cutting the Throat 52(13) The Dark Church 65(14) The Wall and the Gun 79(16) Numerous as the Stars 95(15) The Awful Resurrection Blast 110(13) A Wind from God 123(15) Spirals of Blood 138(18) Terrible Engines 156(17) Omens and Portents 173(14) ``Remember the Date'' 187(16) The Locked Gates 203(14) A Handful of Dust 217(18) The Present Terror of the World 235(18) Epilogue: Resting Places 253(8) About the Sources 261(6) Source Notes 267(16) Bibliography 283(6) Acknowledgments 289(2) Index 291