Product Description
A selection of the finest essays by S¸erif Mardin, offering a historical and cultural analysis of the late Ottoman period and Republican Turkey.

This book collects Serif Mardin’s seminal essays written throughout the span of his prolific career. Comprising some of the author’s finest and most incisive writings, these essays deal with the historical background, political travails, and socioeconomic metamorphosis of Turkey during a century of modernization.

With his characteristic sophistication and breadth of vision, Mardin provides readers with a remarkably objective analysis of ideology, civil society, religion, urban life, and violence in late Ottoman and Republican Turkey.

Mardin moves easily from sociological topics on violence and class-consciousness to the history of the Ottoman Empire, and the philosophy and culture of modern Turkey within the greater Middle East. These influential pieces—collected for the first time in one volume—represent an invaluable addition to the field of Middle East studies. ... Read more

Product Description
The history of Turkey is a tumultuous one. In a succinct narrative, this study surveys the history of Turkey from the Neolithic age to the Byzantine age, then into the industrial age, and finally into the 21st century. Emphasizing the development of the republic of since 1923, it offers the most up-to-date information on this nation. Howard, an authority in the field, shows how Turkey's political, economic, and social system developed as a result of the founding vision of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and the circumstances of the Cold War. The history concentrates on the establishment of the Turkish republic as a single-party state in the first half of the 20th century and on the development of politics, the economy, and society during the Cold War years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good, but very basic, work
This is a fine work for a general audience: clear, concise, and to the point. For those preparing for a trip to Turkey, or those who simply want to learn more, this would be a fine place to start. One should not be misled by the title, however. This work does not cover only the Turkish Republic, but considers the history of Anatolia "from time immmemorial" to the present. With such a ambitious agenda, and only two-hundred pages to work with, this makes for a lot of simplifications.

For people with a better knowledge of Turkey, this work will probably be too shallow to be really satisfying. For those who want academic treatment of modern Turkey, Erik Zurcher is still the best available. For those who want a more critical, journalistic treatment of the Turkish Republic, try Hugh and Nicole Pope's Turkey Unveiled.
... Read more

Product Description
The Armenian Genocide, though not given such prominent treatment as the Jewish Holocaustwhich it precedes, still haunts the Western world and has assumed a new significance in the light of "ethnic cleansing" in Bosnia. This study by the most distinguished scholar of the Armenian tragedy offers an authoritative analysis by presenting it as a case study of genocide and by seeing it as an historical process in which a domestic conflict escalated and was finally consumed by global war. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

The Author used Forgeries!
The author Vahakn Dadrian (who is clearly biased because he is an Armenian nationalist and receives grants from the Armenian government) has used the forgeries called the Aram Andonian (an Armenian's forgeries) documents. These forgeries were used throughout the book to prove a thesis that the Ottoman Turks who allowed religious freedoms and minority rights to the Armenians were somehow evil masterminds comparable to the Nazis--this is absurd. His work is not scholarly; it is filled with propaganda, deceit, unverifiable information, and references to KNOWN forgeries. Anyone who buys the book is wasting their money and time by a grumpy nationalist.

the history of Armenian genocide.V.N. Dadrian
I found it very baised toward to his own background nation. he implements that Armenians are Crafty and peace loving people.He never mentions in 1840 city of Maras, Ottoman military outpost, 400 Officer and solders taken prisoners by 5000 armenian moband theirears and noses cut off and tortured to deadth (Before 1878-1894-1896-and so on.)City of Van murderings before July 10 1915- And after Russion armies invation of Eastern provinces. Never mensions killing their own patriach in Istanbul , cause he did not agree with dashnac organization. Could be a very good book if he was objective. Unfortunatly failed.

The History of the Armenian Genocide: Ethnic Conflict from the Balkans to Anatolia to the Caucasus
It is amazing that Armenians can rewrite history based on forged documents and lies. Armenians were some of the richest Ottoman citizens that held high positions in the government. They believed the lies of colonial European powers, such as Russia, Britain, France, with the promise of an independent state, and attacked the Ottoman Army from the rear. Armed with the weapons given to them by the Allies, they massacered hundreds of thousands of unarmed innocent Turkish civilians. While the Turkish men were at war fighting at many theathers of war, the Armenian men stayed home, because they were exempt from military service. "They raped any Turkish women they found. They extracted the babies from expecting Turkish mothers with their bayonets. They stuffed the innocent Turkish elderly men, women, and children,into their mosques and burnt them alive. Even Russian generals at the scene, who witnessed these heinous acts, called them the most barbarous race they had ever seen". The Ottoman government re-located them out of the war zone, in self defence. Any other country would have punished them much more severely for these treasonous and barberous acts. Calling this relocation a genocide is disingenous, at the very least. The rewiver is saddened by loss of life suffered by the Armenians during the re-location process. Most of the deaths were caused by attacking Kurdish and Circussian bandits for revenge and booty. The number of Armenian deaths have been greatly exaggerated. The Ottoman Government was unable to protect them any better, because the country was in turmoil, at the time, due to the great war.

Amazing book.
I had heard a lot about this book and I just finished reading it, I am quite familiar with the subject matter but in my oppinion this is the best. I think this book is a great contribution to the historical understanding of the Armenian Genocide and of Genocide in general. It's an extremely well researched book. The authors wide reading in the relevant sources in Turkish, Armenian, German, French and English, has no parrallel. I highly reccommend this book to anyone interested in this subject.

Excellent Scholarship
This study took an interesting approach, despite its title it has little about the actual implementation and excecution of the Armenian genocide instead covering topics such as: the Abdul Hamit Massacres, the Adana massacres, the bank Ottoman raid, Islam's bent for domination which implies inferiority for non-muslims dhimmis such as Armenians, German complicity, the failure of European humanitarian intervention due to their vested and colonial interests, the Young Turks, how the precarious situation of Armenians constantly massacred and vulnerable with little weaponry or outside diplomatic assistance made them contrary to Balkan Christians take the route of asking for reforms and protection within the Ottoman Empire instead of seeking their independence as they were in an existential crisis where they decided upon the failed project of seeking protection from a Turkish system that thrived on repression and oppression, the Kemalist invasion of Russian Armenia, a comparison of the Holocaust and the Armenian genocide, the Turkish post-war tribunals that failed to punish the key players of the Armenian genocide(but these trials did provide proof of the intent to destroy the Armenians), the role of impunity during and after the genocide and earlier massacres in the failure to punish muslims for their crimes and how the implacable Kemalists along with European vested interests made sure there was little in the way of punishment, among other topics. Chapter 14 entitled: "The Implementation of the Genocide" only spans from page 219-235 in the edition I read(second revised edition 1997). Such an approach to this study makes ensures that it is well covered why the Armenian genocide occurred, which is more important than drudging page after page about the actual genocide and its implementation, which would have gotten tedious as this book is over 400 pages.

The scholarship of Dadrian shines throughout the work, he cites countless works in Turkish, Armenian, German, French and English and the work is very well referenced with a plethora of footnotes. This man has been studying the Armenian genocide for decades and it shows, I doubt much is written in the languages he can read about the subject that he has not already read, and most of it seems cited in this work. How Turkish historians and other historians can deny the Armenian genocide shows to anyone who has read this work their complete lack of honor and decency, to comment on history with no other desire than to extricate Turkish society and state from their mis-actions. Dadrian uses Austrian and German diplomatic archives at a time when they were Ottoman Turkey's wartime allies, he references the memoirs of architects and implementators of the genocide where they incriminate themselves, he cites the Turkish trials after the war to punish the Young Turks published in the official Turkish government gazette at the time(Takvimi Vekayi), Ataturk's speeches, eyewitnesses, Allied diplomatic archives, Turkish historians such as Refik and Akcam, and Turkish sociologist Ismail Besikci, who attest to the reality of the Armenian genocide. With such evidence how can one deny the Armenian genocide, and claim to be honest or better yet, a member of humanity? ... Read more

Product Description

The Saljuq period of the eleventh and twelfth centuries saw the arrival in Iran of Türkmen nomads from Central Asia and the beginning of Turkish rule. Through the example of the city of Isfahan, the book analyses the internal evolution of Iranian society in this period and the interaction of the Iranian elites and Turkish rulers.

Drawing on an analysis of a wide range of sources, including poetic and epistolary material, this study fills an historiographical gap and casts new light on the two centuries prior to the Mongol invasion. This comprehensive analytical study provides a new contribution to the understanding of many crucial issues: the cultural divide between Western and Eastern Iran; the military potential of city-dwellers; the attitude of the Turkish rulers toward cities and city life; the action of the famous vizier Nizam al-Mulk; the meaning of the Ismaili uprising; and above all the structure of the local elite, organized into rival networks and largely autonomous vis-à-vis state powers. 

The study is enhanced by a variety of additional features, including extensive genealogical tables, Arabic script and maps. Providing a new understanding of the cultural identity of Iran, this book is an important contribution to the study of the history of Iran and the Medieval period.

Product Description
"The Rough Guide to Turkey" is your essential travel guide to this vast and fascinating country. Fully revised and updated, the guide provides unparalleled coverage of everything from Istanbul's nightlife to the cave churches of Cappadocia, with accurate maps, a handy language section and beautiful colour photography throughout. You'll find informed practical advice on what to see and do, from bartering at a bazaar to hiking the Lycian Way, plus honest reviews of the best hotels, bars, clubs, shops and restaurants for all budgets. Expert accounts on hamams, shopping and food and drink give you the day-to-day essentials, whilst a comprehensive history section puts everything into context. "The Rough Guide to Turkey"'s richly illustrated introduction to the country's highlights is complimented by full-colour sections describing outdoor activities, Turkish cuisine and the country's most incredible architectural heritage. Make the most of your time with "The Rough Guide to Turkey". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Lots of comic value
We only used one section of this book, the section on the Northern Aegean. We went to Cunda (near Ayvalik) and to Çesme. The descriptions of each place entertained us as we entered the areas, noting that the simple beauty of the places was invariably described as barren, bordering on inhospitable. At least one of the contributors seemed to have a grudge to bear, pointing out numerous times that the former Greek colonies along the coast had of course lost their former glory since being in the hands of the Ottomans. The most tickling comment by the author was that the Muslims had brought their goats to eat the vineyards the Greeks had left behind. Apparently, the olive groves don't evoke the same wonder to everyone. As other reviews have said, the history provided is interesting, but it is farm from unbiased, possibly even inaccurate.

For beaches in our area, we found a couple that the writers must have missed in their quick visits. We'll keep these as guarded secrets, which may have been the book's intent as well. With beaches, as with hotels, it seems clear whichever contributor visited the area could only recommend the places they had visited, and therefore decided that any place he hadn't stayed or visited was unworthy of anyone else's attention either. The description of Çesme as a small fishing village contrasted greatly with our discovery of it as a tourism-centered marina, lined with a promenade of fish restaurants, each aggressively welcoming passers-by to any available table. The one restaurant the book recommended was the worst we had eaten at during our four nights there. It wasn't even so bad, but not to the level of quality we had seen elsewhere in the town. In fact, the smaller places a block or two in from the water, along Inkilap Caddesi, were surprisingly worth the time to sit down and enjoy, even without the seaside view.

All in all, we found the Rough Guide unhelpful, even misleading. The only good thing it directed us toward was the ruins at Pergamon, a definite worthwhile stopping point. However, there is so much more to enjoy about being a tourist other than the well-preserved ruins and the crowded long beaches.

Interesting Text, but Poor in the Field
I've been traveling to Turkey since the fall of 2005 and currently reside in Istanbul.I've had this edition for a while and was impressed with the quality of the writing and background information.Since I know Istanbul pretty well and have a copy of the Lonely Planet Istanbul guide, I never really paid attention to the Rough Guide's usefulness "in the field."

I just came back from Cappadocia and found the Rough Guide to be wholly inadequate.The guide is devoid of maps for important cities and compared to the Lonely Planet this is a major weaknesses.Even in a city like Goreme, which is the base camp for all trips to Cappadocia, the guide contains no maps for restaurants, hotels, etc.The hotel we stayed at was listed as a 7 (out of 8 marks), yet did not even meet basic cleanliness standards or consistent hot water (we finally left for another hotel).Lastly, we were lucky that the Turkish road system is well marked and offers great signs for tourists, because the Rough Guide assumes that everyone will be taking a minibus (a BIG waste of time in rural Turkey) and provides no navigational assistance in the narrative.

As I scanned the book from a "in the field" perspective, instead of "from my living room couch" perspective, I realized that this entire book is flawed and I'm hesitant to depend on it as my sole resource in the future.I'll never purchase a Rough Guide again if I can help it.

great background, no so great practical information
I have to agree with recent reviewers who were dissappointed by the lack of meaningful practical travel information. The most important thing a travel book can do is tell you how to get from point B to C while you're still in point A.Rough Guide fails completely in this area, showing only a small percentage of the connections a typical (or "rough") tourist would make.Also, the pricing is indeed way off, although given Turkey's highly volatile currency and the recent flushing of the US dollar into the global toilet, I can't really blame the authors for failing to predict the future.I'll also add that with a little negotiating, particularly in off-season, you can get the pricing down to a level closer to what the book says.

Despite all the above problems I'll give the book a middling rather than terrible review because it has great information on all the major sites once you get there.I found the book's descriptions to be just as good as anything a museum will sell you.And the historical background on Turkey is absolutely first-rate--short, easy-to-read, yet comprehensive and intelligent.

Also, I can't say whether you should buy Lonely Planet or another guide.I've been using travel guides for ten years and have concluded that you just can't rely on any trademark--some books are good, some are bad, regardless of the series.

Do not recommend - better off with Lonely Planet
Highly disappointed in the 2007 edition of the Rough Guide to Turkey. I've used the Rough Guide for several other countries, but will not rely on Rough Guides ever again. Agree with the reviewer below who found the pricing to be completely inaccurate, a dearth of maps, and trip planning using the book unreliable.

The recommended hotels turned out to be disastrous for us. We went to a hotel in Izmir that was recommended as a good value at 50 Lira for a double.They charged us 160 Lira. It was also a horrible hotel that should never have been recommended. Found several email addresses for hotels to be non-working. Sirkeci/Gulhane area in Istanbul is a great area to stay in yet there were only 3 hotels in that area listed.

Also, there is no tram/metro map for Istanbul which was shocking. The maps in general were not detailed enough.There should have been several more of various Istanbul neighborhoods.

No mention of Blue Cruise. No mention of how infrequent train schedules are. No recommended itineraries.

Overall: Unreliable and highly UNrecommended.

do not rely on this book
Do not rely on this book.Despite the 2007 copyright, it is way, way out of date and will seriously harm your trip.It certainly harmed out trip.

1)Prices are way off--not just by 10 or 20% but by hundreds of per cent.For example, things listed as $20 sometimes cost $50.

2)The list of hotels is way out of date for every place we went.Some hotels had actually gone out of business years prior to 2007, which is this book's copyright.If you are considering a trip later than 2007, this problem will be still worse.This was true in Marmaris and Bergama and probably many other places.

3)Maps were wrong.Not just inaccurate, but wrong.For example, the location in Marmaris of the ferry to Rhodes was wrong.This was disastrous for us, possibly causing us to miss the ferry.Also, the streets on the map were labelled with names while the actual street signs used numbers instead of names.This may have been due to a renaming of the streets prior to 2007, and the book's map should have reflected the what the signs say.

4)Schedules were wrong.For example, the dolmuses to Troy do NOT leave every 20 minutes as the book says, but every hour, even during peak season.

5)The index is quite incomplete.You should be able to look up a name of a museum, for example in the index and find it in seconds.However, with such an incomplete index, finding information in the book can be a lengthly project--difficult on a busy street corner.

I certainly hope they fix this book, but in its present state it should be avoided--there are other books on travelling in Turkey to use in the meantime. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Statistics gone crazy
I'm afraid I have to disagree with the other reviewers here who had nothing but great things to say about this book. It is really little more than a recitation of statistics, and lots of them. There is some analysis, but overall I found it to be a rather bland and uninspiring look into Turkish life. As a resource for statistics on just about anything you can imagine, this book is truly a gold mine, but it reads like an almanac or a CIA World Factbook report. I was really hoping for something more engrossing than this.

Everyone who plans to visit Turkey needs this book.
Turkey is an undiscovered jewel for many Americans. I have had the opportunity to lead groups to Turkey several times and to travel in all parts of the country on my own. Dr. Ergener has served as our guide several times. I have always encouraged the group members to buy his book because it provides the information one needs when traveling in Turkey. Now that the book is available on Amazon.com, I will be able to have tour members secure the book prior to the tour.

About Turkey
In these times of world tension and great misunderstanding about people of the Middle East, Dr. Ergener's book educated me about the culture and people of Turkey.I recommend this book to anyone who plans to travel to Turkey.But on a wider scope, I wish that all Americans could read "About Turkey" to increase their awareness about this wonderful country.I made a trip there last year and found that the people were warm and friendly, and that Turkey should be on everyone's travel list.I never realized just how much Turkey's history has impacted the rest of the world.Dr. Ergener's book addresses everything from Turkey's religions, to its history, to current-day politics and world affairs."About Turkey" is a wonderful, educational, timely read.

About Turkey - A Gem
If you want to know about Turkey this gem is the place to begin your journey. Dr. Ergener's clear and concise presentation spared me countless hours of research. He provides a broad perspective and insight into the character and concerns of modern Turkish society and the wondrously colorful mosaic that is Turkey. After reading this informative book I was well prepared to settle comfortably and quickly into my new neighborhood in the delightful old city of Istanbul.
Thank you Dr. Ergener. ... Read more

Product Description
For six hundred years, the Ottoman Empire swelled and declined. Islamic, martial, civilized, and tolerant, it advanced in three centuries from the dusty foothills of Anatolia to rule on the Danube and the Nile; at its height, Indian rajahs and the kings of France beseeched the empire's aid. In its last three hundred years the empire seemed ready to collapse, a prodigy of survival and decay. In this striking evocation of the empire's power, Jason Goodwin explores how the Ottomans rose and how, against all odds, they lingered on. In doing so, he also offers a long look back to the origins of problems that plague present-day Kosovars and Serbs.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Unreadable (but a good plan)
Jason Goodwin seems never to have been warned of the run-on sentence.

In scope and topic, this book would be exactly what I wanted. Except it isn't. Goodwin can't write.

It's his interminable sentences that throw Goodwin himself, dragging us poor readers, far off the trail of a good story. He seems to have done his research. 'Twould be nice if he'd share it more clearly with the rest of us.

The typical sentence here runs some three dozen words. Six to eight lines. A mess of incomplete clauses which ought be paragraphs or more.

Take for example the sentence where Goodwin describes 1) fortresses, marketplace, mosque and homestead, 2) the discussions of academics, and 3) the image of incoming riders, as well as, 4) their horses. The reader's image buffer is well past full when she's finally are blessed with a period. Yet the author still has given no hint on the topic of the (3/4-page) paragraph to come.

I'm still looking for a readable book on the Ottoman Empire. Goodwin might try Woodward's treatment of the Iraq War, after he rereads Strunk and White six or eight times.

An incomprehensible mess...
I think the author high and the editor out to lunch on this one. Mr. Goodwin has a tendancy to change time periods and subject matter every other sentence making this book a complete incomprehensible mess.His excessive use of commas and odd use of semi-colons only add to the confusion. There are paragraph-long sentences disjointedly rambling on-and-on via commas and semi-colons leaving one scratching their head as to what he's writing about.I have a nice bookcase full of history, political and travelogues but rent is high here in San Francisco so this one's going in the recycle bin.

Unfortunatelly some people do not find what they need to hear in this book.
When you look for all "one star" reviews you'll find that these reviews belong to one sided readers. All they want to hear is "how barbaric the Turks are, the so called genocide and ignorant Ottomans". Unfortunately the author of the book is not a bias person. He wrote what he really observed and felt. The thing is when you read the work of real Ottoman Historians and academicians, you'll see the doors are opening to the reality of exploring and discovering this hidden treasure of the past: Ottomans...

Charming, unfocused glimpses of Ottoman history
I love Jason Goodwin's 19th century Constantinople-based historical mystery series featuring the eunuch detective Yashim Togalu.So I was looking forward with considerable anticipation to Goodwin's work about the history of the Ottomans, a subject not exactly exhausted by writers in English.And the book is certainly worth reading -- it is beautifully written, and filled with fascinating and illuminating vignettes of Ottoman life, politics, society and personalities across the ages.But -- as several other reviewers here have noted -- if you want a solid, detailed chronological survey of the Ottoman Empire, this is not the book you are seeking.What the reader is left with are impressions, organized around vague themes. It's all very pleasant, but insubstantial.

Still, I enjoyed this book enough to award four stars except for some very, very sloppy editing -- don't authors read the final galleys of their books before they go to press?There are at least half a dozen egregious examples of incorrect dates in the book, e.g. the Council of Nicaea was in 325, not 1325; and a writer who studied Byzantine history at Cambridge surely knows that the Palaeologi emperors reconquered Constantinople from the Latins in 1261, not 1267.Little things, perhaps -- but when you call a book "history," you had better get such little things correct.

Not really a history
Ottoman history is fascinating and extremely difficult to grasp.For one thing the chronology is difficult and my grasp of history is Eurocentric and Ottoman history doesn't fit easily.And the Sultans are unfamiliar.This book is interesting in the way it presents the Ottoman Empire.There is no real ordering of events.The author jumps from time to time and back again.It becomes difficult to insert it into a European framework, and that frame is quite important as the Ottomans interfaced with Europe constantly throughout their history. The book does give a feel for the place.It would help to be British to understand the book.The authors idiom and sentance structure are definitely not US reader friendly. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
In 2002 the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) swept to power in Turkey. Since then it has shied away from a hard-line ideological stance in favour of a more conservative and democratic approach. M. Hakan Yavuz negotiates this ambivalence asking whether it is possible for a political party with a deeply religious ideology to liberalise and entertain democracy or whether, as he contends, radical religious groups moderate their practices and ideologies when forced to negotiate a competitive and rule-based political system.The author explores the thesis through an analysis of the rise and evolution of the AKP and its more recent 2007 election victory. The book, which tackles a number of important issues including political participation, economics and internal security, provides a masterful survey of modern Turkish and Islamic politics, which will be of interest to a broad range of readers from students to professionals and policymakers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Comprehensive and Insightful.
Despite the emotions its subject matter raises in Turkey, its Turkish author remains fair and objective towards all sides, or perhaps I should say equally critical of all sides.His judgments are acute, and his coverage comprehensive.An illuminating read. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Welcome to fascinating Turkey, one of the world's best kept travel secrets. From the colorful Grand Bazaar and intriguing architecture of Istanbul to the distinctive fairy chimneys of Cappadocia and the ancient ruins and pristine waters of enticing seaside resorts, Turkey is one of the world's great travel adventures.

Two seasoned travel-shopping sleuths reveal in extraordinary detail the who, what, where, and how of enjoying the many treasures and pleasures of Istanbul, Bursa, Iznik, Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, and several major destinations along the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts.

They include everything from pre-trip planning advice to 24 critical shopping rules, 16 effective bargaining strategies, and 12 useful tips on buying carpets. Jam-packed with critical contact information, including many websites, for turning just another trip into a great travel-shopping adventure. ... Read more

Product Description

The Ottoman Army had a significant effect on the history of the modern world and particularly on that of the Middle East and Europe. This study, written by a Turkish and an American scholar, is a revision and corrective to western accounts because it is based on Turkish interpretations, rather than European interpretations, of events.As the world's dominant military machine from 1300 to the mid-1700's, the Ottoman Army led the way in military institutions, organizational structures, technology, and tactics. In decline thereafter, it nevertheless remained a considerable force to be counted in the balance of power through 1918. From its nomadic origins, it underwent revolutions in military affairs as well as several transformations which enabled it to compete on favorable terms with the best of armies of the day. This study tracks the growth of the Ottoman Army as a professional institution from the perspective of the Ottomans themselves, by using previously untapped Ottoman source materials. Additionally, the impact of important commanders and the role of politics, as these affected the army, are examined. The study concludes with the Ottoman legacy and its effect on the Republic and modern Turkish Army.

This is a study survey that combines an introductory view of this subject with fresh and original reference-level information.Divided into distinct periods, Uyar and Erickson open with a brief overview of the establishment of the Ottoman Empire and the military systems that shaped the early military patterns. The Ottoman army emerged forcefully in 1453 during the siege of Constantinople and became a dominant social and political force for nearly two hundred years following Mehmed's capture of the city. When the army began to show signs of decay during the mid-seventeenth century, successive Sultans actively sought to transform the institution that protected their power. The reforms and transformations that began frist in 1606successfully preserved the army until the outbreak of the Ottoman-Russian War in 1876. Though the war was brief, its impact was enormous as nationalistic and republican strains placed increasing pressure on the Sultan and his army until, finally, in 1918, those strains proved too great to overcome.By 1923, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk emerged as the leader of a unified national state ruled by a new National Parliament.As Uyar and Erickson demonstrate, the old army of the Sultan had become the army of the Republic, symbolizing the transformation of a dying empire to the new Turkish state make clear that throughout much of its existence, the Ottoman Army was an effective fighting force with professional military institutions and organizational structures.

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent book about Ottoman military history
This is an excellent book about Ottoman military history.It discusses the Ottomans from their own perspective, making extenstive use of Turkish language sources.As such, it does an excellent job explaining Ottoman military institutions, their development and changes over time.The book also does a very good job explaining reform efforts and their success or failure.Most of the book is about the 18th century to the end of the First World War.I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Turkish history, Ottoman history, or the history of the Balkans. ... Read more

Product Description

Much traditional historiography consciously and unconsciously glosses over certain discourses, narratives, and practices. This book examines silences or omissions in Middle Eastern history at the turn of the twenty-first century, to give a fuller account of the society, culture and politics.

With a particular focus on the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, Egypt, Iran and Palestine, the contributors consider how and why such silences occur, as well as the timing and motivation for breaking them. Introducing unexpected, sometimes counter-intuitive, issues in history, chapters examine:

• women and children survivors of the Armenian massacres in 1915
• Greek-Orthodox subjects who supported the Ottoman empire and the formation of the Turkish republic
• the conflicts among Palestinians during the revolt of 1936-39
• pre-marital sex in modern Egypt
• Arab authors writing about the Balkans
• the economic, not national or racial, origins of anti-Armenian violence
• the European women who married Muslim Egyptians

Drawing on a wide range of sources and methodologies, such as interviews; newly-discovered archives; fictional accounts; and memoirs, each chapter analyses a story and its suppression, considering how their absences have affected our previous understandings of the history of the Middle East.

Product Description

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) were elected to power in 2002 and since then Turkish politics has undergone considerable change. This book is a comprehensive analysis of the AKP, in terms not just of its ideological agenda, but also of its social basis and performance in office in the main theatres of public policy – political reform, and cultural, economic and foreign policies.

Based on an extensive analysis of official and party documents, interviews, academic sources and media coverage, the book outlines the main features of the current global debate on the relationship between Islam, Islamism and democracy. While most top AKP leaders come from an Islamist background, the party has behaved as a moderate, centre-right, conservative democratic party who are fully committed to democracy, a free market economy and Turkey’s EU membership. The book explores and analyses these changes in Turkish politics, and provides coverage of the workings of the contemporary Turkish political systems, policy and ideological issues that go to the heart of Turkish identity.

Filling a gap in the existing Turkish and English literature on the subject, this book will be an important contribution to Political Science, particularly the areas of Turkish politics, Middle Eastern studies, Islamic studies and comparative politics.

Product Description
This major contribution to Ottoman history is now published in paperback in two volumes: the original single hardback volume (1994) has been widely acclaimed as a landmark in the study of one of the most enduring and influential empires of modern times. The authors provide a richly detailed account of the social and economic history of the Ottoman region, from the origins of the Empire around 1300 to the eve of its destruction during World War One. The breadth of range and the fullness of coverage make these two volumes essential for an understanding of contemporary developments in both the Middle East and the post-Soviet Balkan world. The text of volume one is by Halil Inalcik, covering the period 1300-1600. The second volume, written by Suraiya Faroqhi, Bruce McGowan, Donald Quataert and Sevket Pamuk, continues the story to 1914. Each volume examines developments in population, trade, transport, manufacturing, land tenure and the economy, and extensive apparatus and bibliographic information is provided for students and others wishing to pursue the subject in more detail. Both volumes will be fundamental to any future discussion of any aspect of Ottoman history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

History of the Ottoman Empire in the Annales tradition
This volume should become the standard work on the Ottoman Empire. It gives as complete a picture of life, commerce, diplomacy and ottoman bureaucracy as possible considering the relative unavailability of reliable sources for the empire. It brings together intra-empire, inter-continental and international trade as it changed over the centuries in this one volume, an achievement not mirrored in very many other histories of the period.

The effects of wars (lots of these),governmental efficacy, ending monopoly of the Black Sea trade, the discovery of the New World and the Atlantic routes to East Asia and India are all discussed in a manner which makes not only Ottoman history, but also the rise and flourish of the rest of the subsequent colonial states easier to understand.Rather than focus on the Sultanic whims and decrees as the major force or variable in the Ottoman Empire, this history focuses on the place of the Empire in Europe and the world, using economic analysis rather than Sultanic or harem memoirs to describe the state of the Ottoman subjects.

For the longest time the accepted viewpoint has been that histories of large tracts of land or of people are more or less approximated by court statutes. Fernand Braudel with his "The Mediteranean and the Mediteranean world in the age of Phillip II" went a long way towards changing this view, and with more studies like this, hopefully a more accurate picture of our past will emerge.

Its is amazing how relevant a study of this subject still is for understanding present/recent conflicts or hegemonistic attitudes in their entirety. I would give this book ten stars if I could. ... Read more

Product Description
Using a wealth of contemporary Ottoman sources, this book recreates the social history of Istanbul, a huge, cosmopolitan metropolis and imperial capital of the Ottoman Empire. Seat of the Sultan and an opulent international emporium, Istanbul was also a city of violence shaken regularly by natural disasters and by the turmoil of sultanic politics and violent revolt. Its inhabitants, entertained by imperial festivities and cared for by the great pious foundations which touched every aspect of their lives, also amused themselves in the numerous pleasure gardens and the many public baths of the city. While the book is focused on Istanbul, it presents a broad picture of Ottoman society, how it was structured and how it developed and transformed across four centuries. As such, the book offers an exciting alternative to the more traditional histories of the Ottoman Empire. ... Read more