Gatherings

Levant Book Signing Event

As pivotal centers for trade and commerce the three ports of Alexandria, Beirut and Smyrna played a key roll in the rise, and fall, of the Ottoman Empire. For five centuries these cities provided a window between East and West, unifying races and religions, and bringing together ideas and cultures in a collision of people and minds.

In Levant, Mansel maps these three iconic ports to explore the history of the Middle East. Using unpublished family papers to gain a personal and insightful perspective, Mansel describes the colorful and incongruous history of these three great cities. Charting their story, from the impact of the French alliance with the once-great Ottoman Empire, to their decline after the far-reaching devastation of World War II, Levant is the first English-language history of these fascinating cities and foretells the Arab spring.