John Freely was born in 1926 in Brooklyn. In 1944, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the US Navy and spent the last two years of World War II serving with a commando unit in Burma and China. In 1960 John and his family moved to Istanbul, where he taught physics and the history of science at BoÄYaziçi University. Aside from his travels across the world, he has lived there ever since. He is the author of over 40 acclaimed travel and history books, including Strolling through Istanbul, The Western Shores of Turkey, Strolling through Venice, Inside the Seraglio, Children of Achilles, Light from the East, Celestial Revolutionary and The Grand Turk (all I.B.Tauris Publishers).John Freely was born in 1926 in Brooklyn.

In 1944, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the US Navy and spent the last two years of World War II serving with a commando unit in Burma and China. In 1960 John and his family moved to Istanbul, where he taught physics and the history of science at BoÄYaziçi University. Aside from his travels across the world, he has lived there ever since. He is the author of over 40 acclaimed travel and history books, including Strolling through Istanbul, The Western Shores of Turkey, Strolling through Venice, Inside the Seraglio, Children of Achilles, Light from the East, Celestial Revolutionary and The Grand Turk (all I.B.Tauris Publishers).