20 Best Books On Ottoman Empire (2023 Update)

The ottoman chronicles recount that the first sultan, osman, dreamt of the dynasty he would found – a tree, fully-formed, emerged from his navel, symbolising the vigour of his successors and the extent of their domains. this is the first book to tell the full story of the ottoman dynasty that for six centuries held sway over territories stretching, at their greatest, from hungary to the persian gulf, and from north africa to the caucasus. understanding the realization of osman's vision is essential for anyone who seeks to understand the modern world.

The ottoman empire was one of the largest and longest-lasting empires in history—and one of the most culinarily inclined. in this powerful and complex concoction of politics, culture, and cuisine, the production and consumption of food reflected the lives of the empire’s citizens from sultans to soldiers. food bound people of different classes and backgrounds together, defining identity and serving symbolic functions in the social, religious, political, and military spheres. in bountiful empire, priscilla mary işın examines the changing meanings of the ottoman empire’s foodways as they evolved over more than five centuries. işın begins with the essential ingredients of this fascinating history, examining the earlier culinary traditions in which ottoman cuisine was rooted, such as those of the central asian turks, abbasids, seljuks, and byzantines. she goes on to explore the diverse aspects of this rich culinary culture, including etiquette, cooks, restaurants, military food, food laws, and food trade. drawing on everything from archival documents to poetry and featuring more than one hundred delectable illustrations, this meticulously researched, beautiful volume offers fresh and lively insight into an empire and cuisine that until recent decades have been too narrowly viewed through orientalist spectacles.

Phoenix. paperback. very good. light rubbing wear to cover spine and page edges. very minimal writing or notations in margins not affecting the text. possible clean ex-library copy with their stickers and or stamps.

Published with a new afterword from the author—the classic, bestselling account of how the modern middle east was createdthe middle east has long been a region of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and ambitions. all of these conflicts—including the hostilities between arabs and israelis, and the violent challenges posed by iraq's competing sects—are rooted in the region's political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed by the allies after the first world war.in a peace to end all peace, david fromkin reveals how and why the allies drew lines on an empty map that remade the geography and politics of the middle east. focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when all seemed possible, he delivers in this sweeping and magisterial book the definitive account of this defining time, showing how the choices narrowed and the middle east began along a road that led to the conflicts and confusion that continue to this day.a new afterword from fromkin, written for this edition of the book, includes his invaluable, updated assessment of this region of the world today, and on what this history has to teach us.

The ottoman empire began in 1300 under the almost legendary osman i, reached its apogee in the sixteenth century under suleiman the magnificent, whose forces threatened the gates of vienna, and gradually diminished thereafter until mehmed vi was sent into exile by mustafa kemal (ataturk). in this definitive history of the ottoman empire, lord kinross, painstaking historian and superb writer, never loses sight of the larger issues, economic, political, and social. at the same time he delineates his characters with obvious zest, displaying them in all their extravagance, audacity and, sometimes, ruthlessness.

At the turn of the nineteenth century, the ottoman empire straddled three continents and encompassed extraordinary ethnic and cultural diversity among the estimated thirty million people living within its borders. it was perhaps the most cosmopolitan state in the world–and possibly the most volatile. a brief history of the late ottoman empire now gives scholars and general readers a concise history of the late empire between 1789 and 1918, turbulent years marked by incredible social change. moving past standard treatments of the subject, m. sükrü hanioglu emphasizes broad historical trends and processes more than single events. he examines the imperial struggle to centralize amid powerful opposition from local rulers, nationalist and other groups, and foreign powers. he looks closely at the socioeconomic changes this struggle wrought and addresses the ottoman response to the challenges of modernity. hanioglu shows how this history is not only essential to comprehending modern turkey, but is integral to the histories of europe and the world. he brings ottoman society marvelously to life in all its facets–cultural, diplomatic, intellectual, literary, military, and political–and he mines imperial archives and other documents from the period to describe it as it actually was, not as it has been portrayed in postimperial nationalist narratives. a brief history of the late ottoman empire is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the legacy left in this empire's ruins–a legacy the world still grapples with today.

This used book is in acceptable condition. this book came from a library. this book is missing its dust jacket. the critically acclaimed "new york times" bestselling account of how the modern middle east came into being after world war i, and why it is in upheaval today in our time the middle east has proven a battleground of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and dynasties. all of these conflicts, including the hostilities between arabs and israelis that have flared yet again, come down, in a sense, to the extent to which the middle east will continue to live with its political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed upon the region by the allies after the first world war. in "a peace to end all peace," david fromkin reveals how and why the allies came to remake the geography and politics of the middle east, drawing lines on an empty map that eventually became the new countries of iraq, israel, jordan, and lebanon. focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when all-even an alliance between arab nationalism and zionism-seemed possible he raises questions about what might have been done differently, and answers questions about why things were done as they were. the current battle for a palestinian homeland has its roots in these events of 85 years ago.

Part i of the book deals with 6 centuries of ottoman empire's birth, growth, plateau and peak, stagnation and then the eventual downfall. the book begins with the early days of the turkic tribes and the fall of the seljuk empire that ruled anatolia. then discusses the coming together of the tribes into a one cohesive entity and then the growth into a state and then into a multi-ethnic, multi-religious diverse empire. along the way, the book discusses cultural aspects, interactions with the persians, greek, russians, and later on the western powers. part ii discusses what happened after the fall of the last sultans of the empire, world war i and the next 4 decades of the emergence of the modern country of turkey under mustafa kemal ataturk. using high resolutions images, photographs, newly made detailed maps, the authors discuss this very important people, culture and country.

This highly-praised and authoritative account surveys the history of the ottoman empire from its obscure origins in the 14th century, through its rise to world-power status in the 16th century, to the troubled times of the 17th century. going beyond a simple narrative of ottoman achievements and key events, colin imber uses original sources and research, as well as the rapidly growing body of modern scholarship on the subject, to show how the sultans governed their realms and the limits on their authority.a helpful chronological introduction provides the context, while separate chapters deal with the inner politics of the dynasty, the court and central government, the provinces, the law courts and legal system, and the army and fleet. revised, updated and expanded, this new edition now also features a separate chapter on the arab provinces and incorporates the most recent developments in the field throughout. new to this edition:- an increased focus on religion, and on non-muslim communities- more on the provinces and culture- an expanded taxation chapter, with more on charitable trusts, trade and the economy- updated references throughout

The ottoman scramble for africa is the first book to tell the story of the ottoman empire's expansionist efforts during the age of high imperialism. following key representatives of the sultan on their travels across europe, africa, and arabia at the close of the nineteenth century, it takes the reader from istanbul to berlin, from benghazi to lake chad basin to the hijaz, and then back to istanbul. it turns the spotlight on the ottoman empire's expansionist strategies in africa and its increasingly vulnerable african and arabian frontiers. drawing on previously untapped ottoman archival evidence, mostafa minawi examines how the ottoman participation in the conference of berlin and involvement in an aggressive competition for colonial possessions in africa were part of a self-reimagining of this once powerful global empire. in so doing, minawi redefines the parameters of agency in late-nineteenth-century colonialism to include the ottoman empire and turns the typical framework of a european colonizer and a non-european colonized on its head. most importantly, minawi offers a radical revision of nineteenth-century middle east history by providing a counternarrative to the "sick man of europe" trope, challenging the idea that the ottomans were passive observers of the great european powers' negotiations over solutions to the so-called eastern question.

The cultural heritage of the ottoman empire has traditionally been presented to us through its monuments and high arts. our understanding of its culture has thus come from a world created by and for sultans, viziers and the elite of the empire. but what of the world of the craftsmen and tradesmen who produced the monuments and artefacts? or the townspeople who prayed in the mosques, drank water from the sebils or passed by the mausolea in the ordinary course of their lives? how did they live and die? to date no book has adequately explored the day-to-day life of the common people during the centuries of ottoman rule. in this new edition faroqhi explores the urban world of the ottoman lands from the middle ages to the early 20th century, describing the social significance of the popular arts and crafts of the period and examining the interaction among the diverse populations and classes of the empire.

*includes pictures *includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading "ours are treasures unheard of . . . tents, sheep, cattle and no small number of camels . . . it is victory as nobody ever knew before, the enemy now completely ruined, everything lost for them. they must run for their sheer lives . . . general starhemberg hugged and kissed me and called me his saviour." – polish king john iii sobieski there are certain events that are famous not so much in themselves, noteworthy as they might be, but on account of their role in the context of history. seismic shifts pivot upon the outcome of such events, and many of them come from battles, for it is an unfortunate but irrefutable fact of history that humanity is shaped by the force of arms. salamis, hastings, agincourt, waterloo, sedan, and stalingrad all fit into this category, and the 1683 battle of vienna or kahlenberg (named after a hill near the city) can also, with eminent justification, be placed in the list of era-changing conflicts. for nearly 1,000 years, there had been a clash for the souls, hearts, and bodies of societies across europe, africa, and asia. the conflict between christianity and islam has been one of the defining factors in europe and the middle east, and while this dichotomy might be an excessively simple and incomplete explanation, there is no doubt that it has generated the world today. from arabia, islam surged forth onto the world stage in the 7th century as a religion carried by the force of arms. by the middle of the 8th century, the islamic caliphate had conquered the levant, parts of north africa, and even parts of spain, all regions which had converted to christianity in the previous three centuries. an islamic invasion of france was turned away at the battle of poitiers in 732, and a western counter-offensive known as the reconquista lasted about 700 more years. away from europe, christian and muslim forces fought the crusades around the holy land. toward the end of the 17th century, the preeminent islamic power in the world was the ottoman empire. from lowly beginnings as a vassal of the anatolian sultanate of rum osman i, from whom the empire was named, it expanded into the lands of the christian byzantine empire, and by 1683, the year of the battle of vienna, the ottomans ruled asia minor, the middle east (with the exception of iran), northern africa to the borders of morocco, the balkan peninsula up to the lands of modern poland, as well as portions of poland, ukraine, crimea, and georgia. the sultan was styled "his imperial majesty the padishah (emperor), commander of the faithful and successor to the prophet of the lord of the universe." he was considered by his subjects to be the caliph, the supreme leader of the faithful throughout the world. the duty of holy jihad was vested by the umma in his hands, and the sultans had successfully overpowered the forces of the christian princes time and time again. the long conflict between the habsburgs and the ottomans would finally come to a head in 1683 outside the city of vienna, the center of habsburg power in central europe. it would be no exaggeration to say that vienna was one of the most important battles not only in the conflict between islam and christendom, but in the entire history of the world. if the habsburgs had lost that battle, it is highly likely that islamic civilization rather than christian would dominate much of europe. along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the battle like never before.

Covering the full history of the ottoman empire, from its genesis in post-mongol eurasia to its dissolution after the great war in europe, this textbook takes a holistic approach, considering the ottoman worldview – what it was, how it came together, and how it fell apart. howard stresses the crucial role of the ottoman sultans and their extended household, discusses the evolution of the empire's fiscal model, and analyzes favorite works of ottoman literature, emphasizing spirituality, the awareness of space and time, and emotions, migration, violence, disease, and disaster. following how people spent their time, their attitudes towards authority, how they made their money, and their sense of humor and sense of beauty, this illustrated textbook is an essential resource for graduate and advanced undergraduate, courses on the history of the ottoman empire, the middle east, islamic history, and the history of eastern europe. the book includes over eighty illustrations, maps and textboxes.

Ottoman warfare is an impressive and original examination of the ottoman military machine, detailing its success in europe, north africa, and the middle east. focusing primarily on the evolution of the ottoman military organization and its subsequent impact on ottoman society in a period of change, the book redresses the historiographical imbalance in the existing literature, analyzing why the ottomans were the focus of such intense military concern.several books have been written on the fiscal, technological, tactical, and political dimensions of ottoman military history; little has been attempted, however, to recreate or evoke the physical and psychological realities of war as experienced by ottoman soldiers. murphey's analysis does not focus on the ottoman's success or failure in particular campaigns per se; he focuses on understanding the actual process of how the ottoman military machine worked.this long-awaited work will become the definitive study of ottoman warfare in the early modern period, and will be invaluable to those studying the ottoman empire and early modern european history in general.

Living in the ottoman realm brings the ottoman empire to life in all of its ethnic, religious, linguistic, and geographic diversity. the contributors explore the development and transformation of identity over the long span of the empire's existence. they offer engaging accounts of individuals, groups, and communities by drawing on a rich array of primary sources, some available in english translation for the first time. these materials are examined with new methodological approaches to gain a deeper understanding of what it meant to be ottoman. designed for use as a course text, each chapter includes study questions and suggestions for further reading.

Rifa'at 'ali abou-el-haj reevaluates the established historical view of the ottoman empire as an eastern despotic nation-state in decline and instead analyzes it as a modern state comparable to contemporary states in europe and asia.

Long neglected in world history, the ottoman empire was a hub of intellectual fervor, geopolitical power, and enlightened pluralistic rule. at the height of their authority in the sixteenth century, the ottomans, with extraordinary military dominance and unparalleled monopolies over trade routes, controlled more territory and ruled over more people than any world power, forcing europeans out of the mediterranean and to the new world. yet, despite its towering influence and centrality to the rise of our modern world, the ottoman empire’s history has for centuries been distorted, misrepresented, and even suppressed in the west. now alan mikhail presents a vitally needed recasting of ottoman history, retelling the story of the ottoman conquest of the world through the dramatic biography of sultan selim i (1470–1520). born to a concubine, and the fourth of his sultan father’s ten sons, selim was never meant to inherit the throne. with personal charisma and military prowess—as well as the guidance of his remarkably gifted mother, gülbahar—selim claimed power over the empire in 1512 and, through ruthless ambition, nearly tripled the territory under ottoman control, building a governing structure that lasted into the twentieth century. at the same time, selim—known by his subjects as “god’s shadow on earth”—fostered religious diversity, welcoming jews among other minority populations into the empire; encouraged learning and philosophy; and penned his own verse. drawing on previously unexamined sources from multiple languages, and with original maps and stunning illustrations, mikhail’s game-changing account “challenges readers to recalibrate their sense of history” (leslie peirce), adroitly using selim’s life to upend prevailing shibboleths about islamic history and jingoistic “rise of the west” theories that have held sway for decades. whether recasting christopher columbus’s voyages to the “americas” as a bumbling attempt to slay muslims or showing how the ottomans allowed slaves to become the elite of society while christian states at the very same time waged the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade, god’s shadow radically reshapes our understanding of the importance of selim’s ottoman empire in the history of the modern world.

Long neglected in world history, the ottoman empire was a hub of intellectual fervor, geopolitical power, and enlightened pluralistic rule. at the height of their authority in the sixteenth century, the ottomans, with extraordinary military dominance and unparalleled monopolies over trade routes, controlled more territory and ruled over more people than any world power, forcing europeans out of the mediterranean and to the new world. yet, despite its towering influence and centrality to the rise of our modern world, the ottoman empire’s history has for centuries been distorted, misrepresented, and even suppressed in the west. now alan mikhail presents a vitally needed recasting of ottoman history, retelling the story of the ottoman conquest of the world through the dramatic biography of sultan selim i (1470–1520). born to a concubine, and the fourth of his sultan father’s ten sons, selim was never meant to inherit the throne. with personal charisma and military prowess—as well as the guidance of his remarkably gifted mother, gülbahar—selim claimed power over the empire in 1512 and, through ruthless ambition, nearly tripled the territory under ottoman control, building a governing structure that lasted into the twentieth century. at the same time, selim—known by his subjects as “god’s shadow on earth”—fostered religious diversity, welcoming jews among other minority populations into the empire; encouraged learning and philosophy; and penned his own verse. drawing on previously unexamined sources from multiple languages, and with original maps and stunning illustrations, mikhail’s game-changing account “challenges readers to recalibrate their sense of history” (leslie peirce), adroitly using selim’s life to upend prevailing shibboleths about islamic history and jingoistic “rise of the west” theories that have held sway for decades. whether recasting christopher columbus’s voyages to the “americas” as a bumbling attempt to slay muslims or showing how the ottomans allowed slaves to become the elite of society while christian states at the very same time waged the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade, god’s shadow radically reshapes our understanding of the importance of selim’s ottoman empire in the history of the modern world.

The ottoman world was nothing like an exotic fairytale featuring tyrant sultans, mean pashas, and ill-fated harem women. the true stories of genuine sultans and princes are a bit more complicated and no less exciting. incredible facts about this empire still surprise anyone who starts discovering those stories. you'll find out that, for quite a while, this islamic state was effectively ruled by women, and that's just the beginning. in the ottoman empire: a captivating guide to the rise and fall of the turkish empire and its control over much of southeast europe, western asia, and north africa, you will discover topics such as the first sultan the conqueror the just and the resolute the magnificent friend the power of harem the sultanate of women the supreme valide husbands and sons grandest of the grand flower power: the age of tulips transformation a step toward modernization the reorganization the last absolute ruler the end of the ottoman empire and much, much more! so if you want to learn more about the ottoman empire, click "add to cart"!

The ottoman world was nothing like an exotic fairytale featuring tyrant sultans, mean pashas, and ill-fated harem women. the true stories of genuine sultans and princes are a bit more complicated and no less exciting. incredible facts about this empire still surprise anyone who starts discovering those stories. you'll find out that, for quite a while, this islamic state was effectively ruled by women, and that's just the beginning. in the ottoman empire: a captivating guide to the rise and fall of the turkish empire and its control over much of southeast europe, western asia, and north africa, you will discover topics such as the first sultan the conqueror the just and the resolute the magnificent friend the power of harem the sultanate of women the supreme valide husbands and sons grandest of the grand flower power: the age of tulips transformation a step toward modernization the reorganization the last absolute ruler the end of the ottoman empire and much, much more! so if you want to learn more about the ottoman empire, click "add to cart"!