What's a good book on the 1453 Battle of Constantinople?

by burrabantha

I'm going to be giving an informal presentation on this event by the end of this month and could use some recommendations. I've got a biography on Constantine XI and Mehmed II along with some general reading on the Byzantine Empire and it's decline but none of these works so far provide an in-depth, retrospective account of the battle itself from both sides in terms of tactics, equipment fielded by respective armies and the general progression of the siege. I know mainly how it started and ended, but not the in between.

finishthebookgeorge

For your purposes, Osprey's Constantinople 1453 may well suffice.

http://www.ospreypublishing.com/store/Constantinople-1453_9781841760919

For a longer text narrative, I suggest Roger Crowley's 1453

http://www.rogercrowley.co.uk/constantinople.htm

Guckfuchs

I would say Steven Runciman, The fall of Constantinople 1453 (Cambridge 1965) is still one of the best books on the topic.

rsashe1980

We have some great articles on this over at r/Byzantium.