The Bridge
  • Published: 1 May 2009
  • ISBN: 9780099532149
  • Imprint: Vintage
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 160
  • RRP: $32.99
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The Bridge

A Journey Between Orient and Occident

Formats & editions
EBook
1 Sep 2010
Paperback
1 May 2009
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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 cigarette vendors and the best pickpockets in Europe, to the pride of the cobbler and the tea-seller's homesickness, and interweaves their stories with vignettes illuminating the extraordinary history of Istanbul and Turkey.

Charming and learned, The Bridge is a delightful book from the author of the acclaimed international bestseller In Europe.
  • Published: 1 May 2009
  • ISBN: 9780099532149
  • Imprint: Vintage
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 160
  • RRP: $32.99
Categories:
Share…

About the author

Geert Mak

Geert Mak is a journalist and historian, and the internationally acclaimed author of In Europe, In America, Amsterdam and The Bridge. He is one of the Netherlands’ bestselling authors, has twice been awarded Historian of the Year and his books have been translated into more than 20 languages.

Also by Geert Mak

The Dream of Europe
In America
In Europe (Vintage Classic Europeans Series)
An Island in Time
In Europe
Amsterdam
See all

Praise for The Bridge

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

Part history lesson, part cultural essay, The Bridge's slender size does not diminish it's riches

Viola Fort, Guardian

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'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