John Freely (26 June 1926 – 20 April 2017) was an American physicist, teacher, and author of popular travel and history books on

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, and the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. He was the father of writer and Turko-English literary translator

Maureen Freely Maureen Deidre Freely (born July 1952) is an American novelist, professor, and translator. She has worked on the Warwick Writing Programme, University of Warwick, since 1996. Biography Born in Neptune, New Jersey, she is the daughter of author ...

Life

Freely was born in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, and grew up there and in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. He dropped out of high school and joined the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

at the age of 17 for the last two years of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, serving with a

commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...

unit in

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. He did his undergraduate work at the traditional American Catholic college, Iona College in

New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle ( ; in ) is a Political subdivisions of New York State#City, city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately from Midtow ...

, under the

G.I. Bill The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I. (military), G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in ...

. In 1947, Freely married Dolores "Toots" Stanley after they had agreed to devote their lives to travel. He died in the UK in 2015 and his remains were interred in

Feriköy Protestant Cemetery The Feriköy Protestant Cemetery (), officially called ''Evangelicorum Commune Coemeterium,'' is an international Christian cemetery in Istanbul, Turkey. As its name indicates, it is the final resting place for Protestants in Istanbul. The cemete ...

in Istanbul.

Academic career

Freely received his PhD in physics at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

, and later pursued his postdoctoral studies at

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

under

Alistair Cameron Crombie Alistair Cameron Crombie (4 November 1915 – 9 February 1996) was an Australian historian of science who began his career as a zoologist. He was noted for his contributions to research on competition between species before turning to history. ...

, the pioneering researcher in the history of medieval European science. The principal idea he inherited from Crombie was "the continuity of western European science from the Dark Ages through Copernicus, Galileo and Newton". Following his postdoctoral work, he went in 1960 to

, Turkey, and took up a post at

Robert College The American Robert College of Istanbul ( or ), often abbreviated as Robert or RC, is a Selective school, highly selective, Independent school, independent, mixed-sex education, co-educational, Education in Turkey#Private schools, private Second ...

(later Boğaziçi (Bosphorus) University). He subsequently taught courses there in physics and the

history of science The history of science covers the development of science from ancient history, ancient times to the present. It encompasses all three major branches of science: natural science, natural, social science, social, and formal science, formal. Pr ...

and

astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

, including the course "The Emergence of Modern Science, East and West",John Freely, ''Before Galileo: The Birth of Modern Science in Medieval Europe'' (2012). with sojourns in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, and

. He returned to Boğaziçi University in 1993.

Writing life

Freely was the author of more than 40 books, many of them either histories of Istanbul and Turkey, accounts of the lives of significant figures of the Ottoman Empire or travel guides, especially about Istanbul. Together with Hilary Sumner-Boyd, a colleague from Boğaziçi University, Freely published ''Strolling Through Istanbul: A Guide to the City'' in 1972. While sales were initially slow, they picked up as travel to Istanbul increased, and by the early 2000s it was regarded as a classic of the guidebook genre for its blending of the academically rigorous with an accessible, even lively, writing style. It continues in print fifty years after its initial publication. Among the more unusual topics he wrote about were the lives of

Cem Sultan Cem Sultan (also spelled Djem or Jem) or Sultan Cem or Şehzade Cem (22 December 1459 – 25 February 1495, ; ; ; ), was a claimant to the Ottoman throne in the 15th century. Cem was the third son of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, Mehmed II and ...

, the third son of Sultan Mehmet II who laid claim to the Ottoman throne but was defeated and ended his life in exile in Europe; and Sabbetai Zevi, the so-called Jewish Messiah from

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; , or ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna ...

(now

İzmir İzmir is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. In 2024, the city of İzmir had ...

), who eventually converted, at least on the surface, to Islam and whose followers became known as the Dönme.

Works

Travel guides *''Strolling Through Istanbul: A Guide to the City'' (1972; 9th edition 2006), with Hilary Sumner-Boyd; (2009) Tauris Parke Paperbacks *''Complete Guide to Greece'' (1974), with

, Littlehampton Book Services Ltd *''Naxos: Ariadne's Isle'' (1976; 2nd edition, 1980), Lycabettus Press *''Blue Guide Istanbul'' (1983; 2nd edition, 1987; 3rd, 1991; 4th, 1997; 5th, 2000) *''Blue Guide Boston and Cambridge'' (1984; 2nd edition, 1994), A & C Black Publishers Ltd *''The Companion Guide to Turkey'' (1984; 2nd edition, 1996),

Boydell Press Boydell & Brewer is an academic press based in Martlesham, Suffolk, England, that specializes in publishing historical and critical works. In addition to British and general history, the company publishes three series devoted to studies, editio ...

*''Crete'' (1988),

Weidenfeld & Nicolson Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd (established 1949), often shortened to W&N or Weidenfeld, is a British publisher of fiction and reference books. It has been a division of the French-owned Orion Publishing Group since 1991. History George Weidenfeld ...

; new edition (1989) New Amsterdam Books *''The Western Shores of Turkey: Discovering the Aegean and Mediterranean Coasts'' (1988), John Murray Pub Ltd; 2nd edition (2004), Tauris Parke Paperbacks *''Classical Turkey'' (1990; Series: Architectural Guides for Travellers),

Viking Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

*''Strolling Through Athens: Fourteen Unforgettable Walks through Europe's Oldest City'' (1991),

Penguin Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae () of the order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is equatorial, with a sm ...

; 2nd edition (2004), Tauris Parke Paperbacks *''Strolling through Venice: The Definitive Walking Guidebook to "La Serenissima"'' (1994, 2nd edition, 2008), Tauris Parke Paperbacks *''The Redhouse Guide to the Black Sea Coast of Turkey'' (1996); photographs by Anthony E. Baker, Redhouse Press *''The Redhouse Guide to the Aegean Coast of Turkey'' (1996), Redhouse Press *''Crete: Discovering the "Great Island"'' (1998); Weidenfeld & Nicolson; 2nd edition (2008), Tauris Parke Paperbacks *''The Eastern Mediterranean Coast of Turkey'' (1999), Milet Publishing Ltd *''The Redhouse Guide to Western Interior of Turkey'' (1999),

Cadogan Guides Interlink Publishing is an independent publishing house, founded in 1987 and based in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA. , it published an average of 90 books a year and had 800 titles in print. Overview The company specializes in publishing in th ...

*''The Bosphorus'' (1999), Milet Publishing Ltd *''Turkey Around The Marmara'' (1999), Cadogan Guides *''The Companion Guide to Istanbul and around the Marmara'' (2000), Companion Guides *''Galata: A Guide to Istanbul's Old Genoese Quarter'' Archaeology & Art Pubs (2000) *''The Greek Islands'' (2003), John Murray Pub Ltd *''The Companion Guide to Southern Turkey'' (2003), Companion Guides *''The Princes' Isles: A Guide'' (2005), Islander Editions/Adali Yayinlari *''The Cyclades: Discovering the Greek Islands of the Aegean'' (2006), I B Tauris & Co Ltd *''The Ionian Islands: Corfu, Cephalonia and Beyond'' (2008), I B Tauris & Co Ltd *''Istanbul: City of Two Continents'' (2008), with John Cleave, Didier Millet History and science books *''Stamboul Sketches'' (1974; reprinted by Eland in 2014) *''Istanbul: The Imperial City'' (1996) *''A History of Robert College: The American College for Girls and Boğaziçi University'' (2000), YKY, two volumes *''Sinan: Architect of Suleyman the Magnificent and the Ottoman Golden Age'' (1992), with Augusto Romano Burelli, Thames & Hudson Ltd *''Inside the Seraglio: Private Lives of the Sultans in Istanbul'' (1999) *''The Lost Messiah: In Search of the Mystical Rabbi

Sabbatai Zevi Sabbatai Zevi (, August 1, 1626 – ) was an Ottoman Jewish mystic and ordained rabbi from Smyrna (now İzmir, Turkey). His family were Romaniote Jews from Patras. His two names, ''Shabbethay'' and ''Ṣebi'', mean Saturn and mountain gazelle, ...

'' (2001) *'' Jem Sultan: The Adventures of a Captive Turkish Prince in Renaissance Europe'' (2004);

Harpercollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...

*''The Emergence of Modern Science, East and West'' (2004),

Boğaziçi University Boğaziçi University (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Boğaziçi Üniversitesi''), also known as Bosphorus University, is a Public university, public research university in Istanbul, Turkey, historically tied to a former American educational insti ...

*
Byzantine Monuments of Istanbul
' (2004), with Ahmet S. Çakmak;

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

*''John Freely's Istanbul'' (2003, ill. edition 2006), Scala Publishers *''Storm on Horseback: The Seljuk Warriors of Turkey'' (2008); I B Tauris & Co Ltd *''Children of Achilles: The Greeks in Asia Minor Since the Days of Troy'' (2009); I B Tauris & Co Ltd *''The Grand Turk: Sultan Mehmet II: Conqueror of Constantinople and Master of an Empire'' (2009); Tauris Parke Paperbacks *''Aladdin's Lamp: How Greek Science Came to Europe Through the Islamic World'' (2009) *''Before Galileo: The Birth of Modern Science in Medieval Europe'' (2012) *''The Flame of Miletus: The Birth of Science in Ancient Greece (and How it Changed the World)'' (2012); I B Tauris & Co Ltd *''Light from the East: How the Science of Medieval Islam helped to shape the Western World'' (2010); I B Tauris & Co Ltd *''The Art of Exile: A Vagabond Life'' (2016); I B Tauris & Co Ltd Forewords * Runciman, Steven, ''The Lost Capital of Byzantium: The History of Mistra and the Peloponnese'' (2009 reprint), Tauris Parke Paperbacks *Stafford-Deitsch, Jeremy, ''Kingdoms of Ruin: The Art and Architectural Splendours of Ancient Turkey'' (2009) *Bradford, Ernle, ''The Sultan's Admiral: Barbarossa - Pirate and Empire-Builder'' (2009), Tauris Parke Paperbacks

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Freely, John 1926 births 2017 deaths Academic staff of Boğaziçi University Alumni of the University of Oxford Iona University alumni Military personnel from New York City New York University alumni Writers from Brooklyn