Fortuny (English, Bogazici University, Istanbul) looks at how Istanbul was viewed by American writers from Herman Melville to Mary Lee Settle. It is her contention that even the most apparently open minds saw the city through a cultural haze that had been formed by centuries of stereotyping of the Turkish/Ottoman society and character. Each chapter focuses on the experience of a different writer. Some came as tourists, like Melville and Twain. Others, such as Hemingway and James Baldwin, stayed for a time. Before analyzing their comments on Istanbul, Fortuny establishes a background for the writers along with their reasons for coming to the city. Many of the chapters offer interesting insights on rarely studied influences on the authors in question. She points out passages in their work that have echoes of their visits. However, the underlying theme remains the perpetuation of myths about Istanbul that were created before America was colonized and still refuse to die. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)