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Twilight Cities

Lost Capitals of the Mediterranean

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Twilight Cities

By: Katherine Pangonis
Narrated by: Katherine Pangonis
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About this listen

WINNER OF THE 2024 SOMERSET MAUGHAM AWARD

Its name means 'centre of the world', and since the dawn of history the Mediterranean Sea has formed the shared horizon of innumerable cultures. Here, history has blurred with legend. The glittering surface of the sea conceals the remnants of lost civilisations, wrecked treasure ships and the bones of long-drowned sailors, traders and modern refugees.

Of the many cities that dot this ancient coastline, Tyre, Carthage, Syracuse, Ravenna and Antioch are among the oldest and most intriguing. All are beautifully situated, and for layers of history and cultural riches they are rivalled only by their sister cities of Rome, Istanbul and Jerusalem. Yet their fates have been remarkably different. Once major power centres, all five have declined into relative obscurity. Nevertheless, their entwined history takes in Alexander the Great, Nebuchadnezzar, Archimedes and the Roman, Byzantine, Arab and Norman conquests, and their greatness still lingers for those who seek it out.

To bring these mysterious lost capitals to life, historian Katherine Pangonis sets out on a voyage from the dawn of civilisation on the Lebanese coast to a modern-day Turkey wracked by the devastation of the 2023 earthquake. Combining on the ground research with spellbinding storytelling skills, here is a revelatory new story of the Mediterranean, and a powerful reflection on the sometimes fleeting glory of empires.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Katherine Pangonis (P)2023 Orion Publishing Group Limited
Ancient Anthropology World City Sailing Ancient History
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Critic reviews

Luminous . . . Both ­sophisticated and delightfully wide-ranging (Daisy Dunn)
Pangonis's combination of familiar and unfamiliar places is one of the great attractions of the book . . . This is a vividly written book to savour and enjoy, whether criss-crossing the Mediterranean or lounging in an armchair dreaming of it (David Abulafia)

What listeners say about Twilight Cities

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Fascinating

History of cities once major players now if existing a tiny shadow of their former selves yet whose impact still reverberates today. Beautifully told and completely engrossing

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Education and Information

Love listening to historical stories, even better when the actual author narrates themselves. 10 out of 10

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Highly recommend it!

The book had a good tempo, never got boring, and was read by somebody with a pleasant voice, You can start listening without much or any prior knowledge of the cities, while it at the same time should teach those with deeper knowledge of the mediterranean antiquity new things since the book also brings up later and more recent history.

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A wonderful journey through the Mediterranean

Fantastic book that explores the past and present of several Mediterranean cities in a very approachable manner.

Katherine does an amazing job both in her research and in her reading of the book.

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1 person found this helpful