THE FALL OF BYZANTIUM

Constantinople, seat of the Roman Empire of Byzantium, falls to the Turks. For more than 1000 years, this glittering capital withstood invasion, helping to keep Western civilization alive during the Dark Ages. As the dust settles after the battle, Urban of Pest, the Hungarian designer of the cannon, is interviewed. Urban’s invention has brought victory to the Ottoman sultan and makes “fortified castles and walls out of date.”