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Ghost Empire (Richard Fidler, ABC Books)

In Ghost Empire radio presenter Richard Fidler recounts his travels to Rome and Istanbul with his 14-year-old son, exploring the fabled Land Walls of Constantinople and undertaking a rite of passage of sorts as Fidler’s son starts his journey into manhood. The glimpses into their lives are poignant and touching—late in the book Fidler reminisces about the days when he could scoop his son into his arms, where now he offers him a manly side-hug. However, much of the book is given over to the history of the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire, which may lose some readers. While the telling is well done, it is a cumbersome story encompassing facts, speculation, tales of debauchery and heroism, Biblical record, fairy tales and legend. There is a lot to cover and it is intriguing but nevertheless a lot. History fans will love Ghost Empire, while those with less immediate interest in the genre will enjoy flicking through it but may feel a little bogged down at times.

Hannah Cartmel is a freelance editor, committee member of the Small Press Network and co-founder of The Rag & Bone Man Press Inc.

 

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