Midnight at the Pera Palace: the birth of modern Istanbul. By Charles King

Abstract

Charles King's latest work explores how major upheavals in domestic and international politics affected the city of Istanbul between the end of the nineteenth and the middle of the twentieth century. The book's title refers to the hotel built by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits in 1892 to provide suitable accommodation for the Orient Express clientele. It is perhaps best known as the place where Agatha Christie allegedly wrote her novel Murder on the Orient Express. The Pera Palace is presented as a microcosm of Istanbul's social and political life during the period. An engaging work of urban history, Midnight at the Pera Palace is based on a broad array of sources—diplomatic correspondence, private papers, memoirs, the Turkish and international press, as well as photos, music, insurance maps and hospital records. King skilfully weaves a wealth of information into his narrative, highlighting Istanbul's connections to major international events and players, such as Leon Trotsky, Ahmet Ertegün (the founder of Atlantic Records), composer Vernon Duke and papal delegate Angelo Roncalli (later Pope John XXIII).