Product Description
Throughout the millennia Turkey formed the core of several Empires--Persia, Rome, Byzantium--before becoming the center of the Ottoman Empire. All these civilizations have left their marks on the landscape, architecture and art of Turkey--a place of fascinating overlapping cultures.

A Traveller's History of Turkey offers a concise and readable account of the region from prehistory right up to the present day. It covers everything from the legendary Flood of Noah, the early civilization of Catal Huyuk seven thousand years before Christ, through the treasures of Troy, Alexander the Great, the Romans, Seljuks, Byzantines and the Golden Age of the Sultans, to the twentieth century's great changes wrought by Kemal Ataturk and the strong position Turkey now holds in the world community. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

For potential travelers to Turkey: a 2010 review of the 2006 edition
(Note: This book has gone thru several editions, 2006 being the most recent.Thus, only one of the previous seven Amazon reviews --- the 2008 one [all the others are from the 1990s] --- is really pertinent for anyone currently considering a purchase).

The first year mentioned in the book is 500,000BC.The last is 2005AD.That's a lot of time to cover in only 247 pages (including indices).Hence, some of it is about as interesting asa biblical begat: "Anitta of Kussara founded the Hittite kingdom, destroying Hattus and tranfering his capital to Kanesh, which now became known as Nesha.... Laberna moved the capital back to Hattus --- now to be called Hattuse or Hattusas --- and took the name Hattusili" and so on.

There's specific mention in the text of practically all 37 of the Ottoman sultans, including (but not limited to) 4 Mustafas; 6 Mehmets; 5 Murats; Bayezit the Thunderbolt; Ibraheim the Mad; and, of course, Suleyman the Magnificent. An 9-page appendix provides the names, dates, and dynasties of almost 200 rulers of all or parts of what is now Turkey from the early 18th century BC onward (but not including the Persians and the Romans, although several of them do show up in the text).Another appendix (8 pages) is a chronology of major events from 8000BC until the above-referenced 2005 (the event that year being currency reform).Yet another appendix (again 9 pages)is an historical gazetteer beginning with Aezani (the site of the best preserved Roman temple) and ending with Zongudak (the Anatolian equivalent of Port Talbot).

Truly mind-boggling. Also dry as a desert.

One curiosity deserving comment is the noticeable revision of several pages of the text where the type and the space between lines have obviously been altered. Pages 165 and 183 are very obvious (and a couple of others are suspicious).Since the subject matter on 165 is the Armenian genocide and on 183 an introduction to Turkey since 1939 the changes are perhaps for political purposes.It would be interesting to see the pre-alteration texts.Maybe they are what so riled a couple of the book's reviewers from the 90s decade.

In any case, if you want to become a scholar of Turkey, this book is probably a good first step toward your goal. On the other hand, if you're just an ordinary tourist/traveler, the history chapters should suffice in Steves or Cadogan or Lonely Planet or whatever other guidebook you choose.

Bon voyage.

Interesting
Like a previous reviewer, I was put off by the concentration on ancient history with almost no modern history.

Having said that, the ancient history IS fascinating and I am very hald I read the book.

To the two turkish reviewers:when your country finally admits that it massacred the Greeks at Smyrna and the Armenians at every opportunity, then people will begin to forget, but as long as you insist that these things didn't happen people will assume that that is still the way it is in Turkey.

Good Overview of Turkish History
A quick and effective overview of Turkish history from prehistory to the present.

Another silly tourist's book
This book is just another silly tourist's book by just another ignorant tourist. Not worthy of real travelers!

Read Mary Lee Settle's "Turkish Reflections" to get a good introduction to Turkey. It isbecoming a bit dated but is still much better than silly books like this.

Sided autors can not call themselves historian!
ln the book Mr.Stoneman is claiming that Turkish army massacared 10000 kurds.And also about the greek invasion, he says turks killed and raped the greek and armenian inhabitants of izmir. The information he isproviding is sided.lf we are talking about the history, the author has tohave evidences and written records about the events he is reporting.lf heis just writting the stories he heard from the others it can not beaccepted "true" immediately.lt seems that he did not make anyresearch about the past at all, but he wrote the things just like hewanted.People can not change the past.Mr. Stoneman should be moreresponsible and correct the wrong information in his book.Or he has torename his book:"A fictive story of turkey to the sided people wholikes to believe that all turks are bad"Finally, general sound ofthe book is blaming turks on every issue.lt is %100 wrong that Turks didall the bad things.One should make researches and listen to both sidesbefore coming to a conclusion.lf there is no written records, those eventsshould not be mentioned in the serious!history books.Although he has thenames of some books listed at the end of the book he is not refering to thecertain pages of the books for his conclusions.All because of these thebook is not professional at all. ... Read more

Product Description
This revised edition builds upon and updates the twin themes of Turkey's continuing incorporation into the capitalist world and the modernization of state and society. It begins with the forging of closer links with Europe after the French Revolution, and the changing face of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. In his account of the period since 1950, Zürcher focuses on the growth of mass politics; the three military coups; the issue of Turkey's human right's record; integration into the global economy; the alliance with the West and relations with the European Community; and much more.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

About Zurcher and his book who misses the point although the Ottoman parts of the book are commendable(but not the Turkey part)
Herr Prof.Zurcher, who is at heart semi (if not full) racist and unscientific should stop writing books about Turkey or Turks, whom he neither understands nor objectively evaluates evident from bashing Mustafa Kemal ATATURK (such as he described him "despotic"!), a worldwide accepted statesman and genious who was an example to all the suffering Eastern nations like India and others? What did you expect him to do Prof. Zurcher, hand the a millenium-old land of Turks to the hungry Western Europeans on a shish-kebab plate? And his further downplaying the Armenian atrocities during the WW1 who sided with Czarist Russians and thus rewriting the history by sympathizing with then the subjects of the Ottoman empire and newly-made-by-the Western-powers artificial enemy of Turks (earlier Millet-i Sadika, the Loyal Nation)vis a vis Armenians wholeheartedly is not what's expected from an objective historian, if that is what he is supposed to be... He should have stoppped after the Tanzimat (Reformation)which he narrated well.. It is recommended that Dr Zurcher from Amsterdam researches and writes about his own Dutch atrocities exercised around the world, such as Indonesia etc. during the colonization period. With due respect, to my opinion this should be Dr Zurcher's last book about Turkey and Turks...

A balanced history of Turkey
This is a serious book about the emergence of modern Turkey. It provides a fairly balanced account of the history of late Ottoman Empire and of Turkey, not a mean feat considering the explosively politicized nature of the subject. For this very same reason, it is not surprising that revisionists (including some illustrious Amazon reviewers) have taken issue with the mainstream version of important events presented in the book.
For instance, the author's recognition of the Armenian Genocide is taken to be nothing more than a proof of European anti-Turkish prejudices!!!!
To be sure, the book is not perfect, e.g. the lack of specificity in its analysis of Ottoman institutional structures (especially those of the key 18th century), the total lack of reference to anti-Jewish persecution, etc.
In general though, this is a serious and carefully researched account of an important part of Turkish History. Throughout the book, one can clearly see that the author's obvious respect for the Turkish people and culture is much more genuine than that of Turkey's self-proclaimed "apologists".

Something Old, Something New
Erik Zurcher has done a service to all who may have an interest in recent history of Turkey, filling a much-needed gap.This is the second revised edition of the original 93 publication.It expands even more on the recent and more modern history in great detail. It is a nice compliment to Bernard Lewis' "Emergence of Modern Turkey".Zurcher has done a lot more than just reposting known history from other traditional sources.There is much new insight and analysis.Most of it is balanced, but he still has failed to refrain from "recommending" a "multi-national" state "solution" to the Kurdish "problem".As if there is any possibility of it, or as if, after all he has researched and explained about modern Turkey, he would not know, better than anyone else that the unitary nature of the state is what has enabled it to exist in the first place.Given all their ethnic mixes, how often does one encounter a successful model of such a "state" in Europe or Eastern Europe or Middle East?Why such an enlightened solution is rarely pushed ahead in other similar situations, is a mystery.Germany still has to this day, purely ethnic based citizenship laws for example.Besides, why is a democracy that guarantees all individual freedoms to all citizens and makes no distinction among them is still found lacking?

Though he occasionally acknowledges the long history of parliamentary and constitutional rule in Turkey, the judicious and brutally honest study of all the blemishes and imperfections of Turkish democracy throughout decades, creates or more like helps propagate the idea that Turks are in general still not comfortable with the concept of democracy, or that they still do not "get" it.It would have put things in better perspective if Zurcher for example had briefly mentioned what was going on in Europe through 20s, 30s and 40s and even 50s while Turkish democracy one way or another managed to stay on track.

While history of various political parties and their roles has been very well covered, not all topics of importance have received the same attention.Turkey's EU vocation is treated somewhat superficially for example.

The best MODERN history of Turkey
This is the probably the best history of Turkey in the modern period now available in English.Zurcher makes the point that his is a MODERN history of Turkey, rather than just a history of modern Turkey.The distinction is important, as he utilizes a wealth of recent resarch to flesh out the fairly one-dimensional and celebratory approach of many earlier Western writers dealing with Turkey, such as Bernard Lewis.Zurcher deals objectively with topics, such as social and ethnic problems, that are often neglected by some other writers.

The book emphatically does not display anti-Turkish bias, as suggested by Mr. Pipes in his review below; the Armenian genocide may indeed be an "incendiary" topic in Turkey, but its reality is accepted by serious historians throughout the world, and to conclude that it was ordered by the government in power at the time is hardly controversial except among Turkish-nationalist circles and those who seek to curry favor with them.

All in all, an excellent account, by a master of the field.

Turkey
It tells everything you want to learn about Turkey... And i am sure when you read it you will admire Ataturk ,founder of Turkey, like Che Guera or Martin Luther King. ... Read more

Product Description
Beginning in Inner Asia two thousand years ago, the Turks have migrated and expanded to form today's Turkish Republic, five post-Soviet republics, other societies across Eurasia, and a global diaspora. For the first time in a single, accessible volume, this book traces the Turkic peoples' trajectory from steppe, to empire, to nation-state. Cultural, economic, social, and political history unite in these pages to illuminate the projection of Turkic identity across space and time and the profound transformations marked successively by the Turks' entry into Islam and into modernity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Well written, historicially detailed with insightful analysis
Findley, in the introduction to _The Turks in World History_ writes, "This book is intended for the nonspecialists who want to know more about this important part of the history of humanity."This is quite a broad goal; Findley hits the mark, dead center. His masterful historical narrative pulls together geographically and socially disparate parts of world history - East Asia, India, the Middle East and Eastern Europe with the common thread of the Turks.His history has certainly given me pause to reconsider the way in which "world civilization" is interrealted.

The book begins with the distant (and not well documented) history of the nomads of present-day Mongolia and Siberia, the forefathers of both the Mongols, the Finns, the Hungarians, Turkomans, Uzbeks and the Turks: the Hsung-nu.Well known to the Ch'in and Han dynasty, these were the peoples against whom the Great Wall of China was constructed.From these origins, the gradual migration of Turkish-speaking peoples is chronicled through a variety of westward migrating groups from Uighurs, to the Huns, to the Golden Horde of Chingiss Khan to the Ottomans and the residents of present-day Turkey.As the history of this people are told, the common cultural ties of the Turks are pointed out - the forest that I had missed for the trees of differences between groups.The dialectic between micro-political forces (born of the de-centralized nature of steppe life) macro-political forces (as the Turks in their various groups became slaves, soldiers, and eventually conquorers) particularly impressed me: I had never seen the cultural, artistic and sociological similarities between Mongol, Mameluk, Seljuk, Ottoman and Moughal before.Similarly I had never made the broader connection between "cossack" (the free-ranging horsemen of Ukraine) with "Kazakh", the Turkish horsemen of Central Asia; or the connection between the Uzbeks (of Central Asia) with the decendents of Chingiss (Oezbek).These are only two of the many threads that Findely uses to weave together his world history.

Truly the Turks, perhaps more than any other ethno-lingusitic group, have pulled together far-flung parts of the world through commerce and conquest.The last third of the book in which European imperialism and the rise of modern states is discussed was of less interest to me, but was no less profound.History can be dry, even downright boring if not well presented.Findely's writing is fluid and keeps the reader's attention.The connections between peoples, civilizations and cultures are regularly referred back to, allowing the reader to easily follow the larger points he wants to make.

That the Turks had such a major role and place in world history is something I had not previously considered; before reading _The Turks in World History_, I understood them only in the narrow construct of the Ottoman and Mughal Empires.I now seriously reconsider my view as a result of this book.For students of history (either literally or figuratively) I highly recommend this book.

Excellent Brief Encyclopedia of Turkic Peoples
It is a good and brief source of information, sometimes, quite detailed about the history of turkic-speaking people from the ancient to modern time. The author managed to put in 230 pages of the text the mainstream of the development of turkic tribes, peoples and states. The book is objective and well reference-based.

Amazing History, Excellent Author.
This is a truly remarkable book. Findley offers a well-written introduction to the entire history of Turks and Turkic peoples to the non-specialist reader in this very interesting work. The book is composed of an introduction, five main parts and a conclusion. It takes the history of Turks from the very beginning (the appearance of Xiongnu in the Central Asian steppes) and brings it up to the recent electoral victory of AKP (Justice and Development Party) in Turkey. I found the book especially strong on its chapters about Turks' conversion to Islam and after. On top of all the remarkable scholarly qualities of the book, Findley is a very good writer and he carefully explains every point, which may be difficult or unknown to the lay reader. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

The Turks: Brief Panoramic Work
This is a masterful work that can be savoured by the professional historian and educated layperson alike. It questions other analysises based on the clash of civilizations or which take for granted that something went wrong, reminding us that failing to adapt to global modernity, or lashing out violently against its manifestations, is not peculiar to any civilization. To put it in a nutshell,Findley looks for continuities and distinctive designs in the history of the Turkic peoples, considering the pre-islamic Turks and their precursors, the entry of the Turks (and the Monguls) into the Islamic world, the great age of indigenous Asian empire building; and finally the modern period. All that in 237 pages divided in the following chapters: One: The pre-islamic Turks and their Precursors; Two: Islam and Empire from the Seljuks through the Mongols; Three: Islamic Empires from Temür to the "Gunpowder Era"; Four: The Turks in the Modern world: Reform and Imperialism; Five: The Turks and Modernity: Republican and Communist; Conclusion: The Turkic Caravan in Retrospect.

Besides, the book is not a difficult reading (content: 5 starts; pleasure of reading: 4 to 3).

Other books I would recommend to read are the following: Donald Quataert, "The Ottoman Empire, 1700-1922", and Robert Mantran (ed), "Histoire de l'Empire ottoman".
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Customer Reviews (98)

Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds
Excellent account of the political history and culture of Turkey and the limited option to achieve democracy.

Streamlined but lacking depth
This is a relatively light read written by Stephen Kinzer, a New York Times journalist who has covered events taking place in the Republic of Turkey for several years now. It is not quite a history book but rather a general evaluation of a country which, to all observers, is poised to assume a prominent, and perhaps even decisive, role in world affairs.

The book is written from a very personal perspective. Each chapter opens up with an episode taken from Kinzer's time in Turkey and consequently deals with a subject that is relevant in Turkish politics or society. The first chapters serve as introduction to the reader, acquainting him with the establishment of the republic in 1923 (when it succeeded the Ottoman Empire) and the earth-shattering reforms that were carried out by its first leader, whose reputation holds near mythic status in Turkey, Mustafa Kemal. The succeeding chapters present a variety of topics and problems which Turkey faces today, from its inability to give equal rights to its minorities to its knee-jerk reaction to silencing its citizens who dare question the wisdom of the state. Kinzer spends much of his time, however, discussing Turkey's future. A great deal of space is reserved for talking about its potential to not only form a bridge to unite two seemingly distant cultures, (the East and West), but to assume and play an active and influential role in world politics.

These are all very important subjects to cover and understand but the space that Kinzer has allotted them (about 250 pages) is quite insignificant and because of this shortcoming, much of his analysis just barely scratches the surface. Certain reviewers have complained that Kinzer is too judgmental when discussing topics such as democracy or the role of the military in politics but most of his arguments and advice are spot on without sounding having too much of the air of a preacher. He clearly has too much love for a country and its people to not appear to sound too condescending.

Additionally, I had to take away one star for his highly disappointing chapter concerning the Armenian Genocide, or as Kinzer euphemistically puts it, the Armenian tragedy. In what is becoming far too symptomatic of foreigners who write on Turkey, the Armenian Genocide is almost always written off as an unfortunate "event" which befell the Armenians and the Turks during a chaotic time of war and turmoil. In what is an excruciatingly difficult, inconsistent and incoherent chapter to read, Kinzer speaks about the Armenian Genocide without fully acknowledging the extent of its reality. While he makes certain interesting points, he dances around the topic, making irrelevant and wildly inaccurate comments about the Armenian Diaspora and the Republic of Armenia. Even when he interviews several Kurds who openly admit that their grandparents were responsible for killing Armenians under direct orders of the state, he is still unable to bring himself to use the word genocide. This is not the first time that Kinzer has written about the genocide, as he has published several articles in the NYT with far greater insults than the ones found in the book. In this respect and as a journalist, Kinzer is no Robert Fisk and it is obvious that he feels very uncomfortable or is at least very reluctant to just speak the plain truth or criticize a country that has played host to him for such a long time.

Turkey's current Prime Minister Recep Erdogan clearly comes out as the hero in Kinzer's story. He is presented as a progressive individual, with moderate Muslim leanings, who has a much more optimistic outlook on Turkey's relation to the rest of the world than his predecessors. Erdogan wishes to bring his nation into the European mold, even if the Europeans themselves have stiffened up over Turkey's desire to join the European Union. Kinzer remains optimistic for Turkey's future and one can get a fair idea of what Turks are thinking and doing by reading his book. Pity it wasn't a little bit longer.

Excellent background book to modern Turkey with some reservations (see review)
Before saying anything else, you should know that this is an excellent book: five stars.It's not a typical politics book, but more of an ex-New York Times Istanbul Bureau Chief's personal quest to come to terms with modern day Turkey.There are about ten chapters with short "meze" observations in between each chapter.("meze" is the Turkish term for "appetizer")Each chapter covers a topic, such as the Kurdish problem, the military, religion, Armenians, the foundation of modern Turkey, etc.

Unfortunately, and I have a hard time saying this because I don't want to give the impression that the book is anything but excellent, but from the very beginning I suspected that Kinzer's book was overly biased in favor of the current Erdogan administration, perhaps because of the author's love of the Turkish people and country, perhaps because of his subconscious desire to maintain journalistic access to Turkish leaders.I frequently found myself wondering what he was not telling the reader.Kinzer clearly makes the case that Erdogan has been good for Turkey, but many have also had serious reservations.

The book is extremely engaging and well written.The author's own observations based on interviewing and following the key figures in Turkish politics are on target, spot-on.I started reading this book while on vacation in Turkey and frequently found the book explaining to the core things I had observed.

Only in the very last chapter did Kinzer addresses the concerning Islamic leanings of the Erdogan administration.These concerns are now more important in light of the Gaza flotilla and Erdogan's repudiation of the Israeli Prime Minister at a big international meeting.These events happened after Kinzer updated his book (originally written 2001, substantially revised and updated 2008), but were clearly on the minds of everyone involved when the book was written.

Shallow and judgmental
I had this book on my shelf for years and picked it up because I wanted to learn more about this country, especially after it has become more prominent in the news. Kinzer writes well and covers many of the major issues, with chapters divided into themes.

Unfortunately, Kinzer litters the book with judgments, constantly chastising Turkey for not being sufficiently democratic or proclaiming that its future lies with Europe. In retrospect, his optimism sounds naive - he seems never to have considered the possibility, for example, that democracy would lead to an Islamist political party with foreign policy interests that don't coincide with US/European notions of progressivism. This is exactly what has happened recently, with the AK Party government forging closer ties with Iran. This development, and Kinzer's lack of in-depth discussion of popular support for Islamic politics, suggests that Kinzer's knowledge of Turkey came primarily from intellectuals and elites who shared his outlook on life and politics.

More importantly, Kinzer's judgmental tone simply becomes annoying and takes space away from more anecdotes and analysis about Turkey. I found the book to be shallow and judgmental. In some ways, I learned surprisingly little about Turkish history and politics. Besides being energetic, what did Prime Minister Ozel do? How did he survive politically if he challenged so many military elites? I understand Kinzer didn't have space to cover thousands of years of Turkish history in 240 pages. However, he surely could have provided more interesting historical stories about the country rather than dedicating several pages to his desire to swim across the Bosporus Straits.

First class
Kinzer gets it!
He understands the way Turks think, evaluates the current political dilemmas the country finds itself in. (although slightly outdated by now however the book was published in 2008) He comes up with solutions to the problems facing the country and leading it to a delay in its efforts to join the ranks of the modern western civilizations. After reading the book you develop an understanding of why Turkey to this date still can't get ahead and find its potential. Recommended for anyone who has an interest in Turkey's modern history... ... Read more

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Product Description
Seton Lloyd's lively account of Turkey's early history isfor the ever- increasing number of people visiting the ancient sitesof this fabled land. Written by an archaeologist who has spent much ofhis life in the Near East, the book is not a conventional "guide" tothe antiquities of Anatolia, nor is it a textbook. It is insteadLloyd's attempt to share his profound interest in an antique land, itsinhabitants, and the surviving monuments that link the present to thepast.

Lloyd traces the many different cultures that have been a part ofTurkey from prehistoric times to the Christian era. He recounts theexploits of the Hittite kings, the confrontation of Croesus and thePersian king Cyrus, the conquests of Alexander the Great, andMithridates' epic resistance against Rome. Archaeological landmarksdiscussed include the discovery of the Alaca Huyuk tombs, the attemptsto establish the location of Troy, and the opening of the Tomb ofMidas. Lloyd shows how each successive culture has left its mark on anastonishing variety of sites, from the shrines of Catal Huyuk to thetemples of Ephesus and the churches founded by St. Paul. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Ancient Turkey:A traveller's history
Very detailed summary of human activity in Anatolia since the Stone Age.Written by a British archeologist whose specialty is Mesopotamia and Anatolia.The accompanying maps could be better or at least better indexed.

Not A Traveller's History
I bought this before travelling to Turkey, looking for an accessible guide to the fascinating multi-layered history behind the cities and sights. That is not this book. It is not arranged by city or region: instead, the chapters are chronological through the history of the whole area. It is not accessible: the writing is both dense with unexplained historian-only asides and references, and also really dry and stilted.

So: It is not a history for travellers, and doesn't live up to its title! Maybe the title means that the author travelled to Turkey, and wrote a history?

We're travelling with friends to Turkey, and one of them said "I'm buying a Turkish history book so I'll be smart about where we're going"--turns out he found the same one on Amazon. We both were looking for some history for our travels, and this sounded perfect from the title and the positive reviews. But he also thought it was "terrible, unreadable, practically turned me off of history."

If you are making the same Amazon book search that my friend and I did, and looking for the same thing, DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE WE DID!

Here's a much better alternative. The Cadogan Guide to Turkey is a general travel book that includes rich historical background to all the cities and individual sights described. This has been my absolutely favorite reference, with wonderful depth of vivid commentary.

Turkey History - Well done
Found this book to be a great help in putting the many pieces of History of Turkey and Anatolia over the past 4,500 years. Not a dry academic text, but written for the reader to move through the history of places and peoples.Not a stirring account but very comprehensive.Read this with several books on Turkish ancient history in prep for a 3 week tour of the Western Turkish Ancient sites.This proved a good companion to the Blue Guide of Turkey.

Writing could be better
I picked up this book in preparation for a class trip to Turkey to look at architecture and landscape. I have found it to be exhaustive in details pertaining to archeological discoveries and sequence. I wish that it would leave off some of these details, and spend a little more time painting the bigger picture. The book reads as if you are listening to a one-sided conversation with a very specialized and opinionated professor. It is almost casual in tone, and spends too much time and emotion on issues that don't really aid understanding of the history of Turkey. Having said that, if you can struggle through the dense parts, and keep refering back to the maps, you can get a pretty good idea of the progression and significance of events.

Good source on ancient history in Asia Minor
I bought this book as background reading for an upcoming trip to Turkey. It is a comprehensive and well-written overview of ancient history, from the Hittites up through the beginnings of Christianity in what is now Turkey, with context relating to the influence of adjacent areas as needed.It puts things in context and provides maps to help locate cultures and events geographically.I would recommend it for anyone interested in the subject, or reading up for a visit. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A good political and social overview
For serious travelers to Turkey, this is an excellent history of, and commentary on past and present Turkey. As Americans, when we travel abroad, we know so little of the history, social life, politics, and culture of the countries we visit. This book prepares the serious traveler to know the background of Turkey. Although the history can be arduous reading at times, the background to current day Turkey is essential. It would like someone coming to America for the first time and unknowing of who George Washington or Abraham Lincoln were. Although they might enjoy the sites, it would be impossible for them to understand why we have monuments in our capital city for these men who formed our country. So too, we need to know about Turkey's founding and background. ... Read more

Product Description
The definitive book on Turkey's history, completely revised and updated.Hugh and Nicole Pope have comprehensively updated their definitive history of modern Turkey, Turkey Unveiled. Tracing the rise of the country that transformed itself in the twentieth century from an agrarian society to an affluent, prominent republic, this new edition also includes new photos, maps, and key information on Turkey's new-found prominent position in current global affairs, as evidenced by its vital role as a moderate Islamic government during Operation Iraqi Freedom.Nicole and Hugh Pope, who speak fluent Turkish and have reported from Turkey for over a decade, provide a rich mosaic of contemporary Turkey and its formative past. Combining expert analysis with keen understanding of a culture long misunderstood by the West, Turkey Unveiled provides insights for both the general reader and the millions of people who have made Turkey a top tourist destination.Amazon.com Review
Turkey, write journalists Nicole and Hugh Pope in thiswell-made narrative history, is a land that defies easycategorization, a melange of elements "European, Western, Eastern,Islamic, fascistic, anarchic" that has always been something of anenigma to outsiders. After decades of stagnation, it is now emergingas a nation of central importance in Eurasian geopolitics, as it wasin the days of the Ottoman Empire. The authors describe the growth ofthe modern Turkish state in the aftermath of World War I, when thatempire, defeated by the Allied powers, splintered into some 30independent states. Led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his so-calledYoung Turks, the postwar state sought to curb the growth of Islamicfundamentalism, to introduce some measure of democracy into a formerlyautocratic system, and to secure a place for Turkey in theconstellation of world powers. They were only partly successful;Atatürk, the authors contend, "led Turkey on the path ofWesternization, but left it stranded half-way to full democratizationbecause, deep down, he was not a democrat." Now, after years ofmilitary rule, the Turkish government is making efforts both tocontinue that democratization and to secure influence among theemerging Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union. Thenation, the authors write, is now the arena of conflict between leftand right, fundamentalist and secularist, nationalist andcosmopolitan: it stands at a crossroads both political andhistorical. Westerners, they suggest, would do well to pay closerattention to Turkish affairs, and their book is a fine contributiontoward that end. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

Lots of information about Turkey in the 20th century
This book takes up Turkish history in the early part of the 20th
century, just as modern Turkey was being formed and defined.So,
while it does not cover an immense historical period, so much has
happened in Turkey during that time that this makes a fascinating
reading.If you are not interested in Turkey when you start reading
this book, you are very likely to become so.If you already were,
you will become more so.

A few of the topics that you will learn about:

- The formation of Turkey and it's modern borders.The campaign by
the Young Turks to take Turkey back.

- Process by which south-western Turkey was taken back from Greeks
who lived there.

- The Armenian massacres -- Why and how Turkey has not been able to
deal with this after all these years.The authors give what seems
like a balanced account of the atrocities and why and how they
happened.You'll learn a bit about the violence committed by
those on the radical Armenian side, too.

- Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and how he modernized Turkey -- This process
was so audacious and so important to the formation and character
of modern Turkey.Whether you are pro-secular or anti-secular,
these changes are so important to understanding Turkey.

- The Cyprus issue -- Why there are still both Greeks and Turks on
Cyprus and why that division has not been solved.

- The role of the military in Turkey's politics -- There have been
"tanks in the streets" at several times, even in recent Turkish
history.A recent military take-over occurred in the early
1980's.It had a stabilizing influence, but there are those who
object to it's imposition of secularism.

- Turkey's economy and finances -- A re-scheduling of Turkey's
foreign debt became a guide for Turkish economic policy in the
1980's.Turkey has prospered economically, but, in part because
of population growth, it still has a long way to go on the path to
providing a decent standard of living for most of it's citizens.

- There are divisions within Turkey that seem unresolvable: (1)
between the secularists and Islamists who want religion to have
more influence in the government; (2) between Sunni Muslims and
Alevi Muslims; (3) between the Kurds (who want more recognition of
their culture) and the central government (possibly fearing a move
toward separatism).

Turkey and its political groups are, at times, wild and violent.It
is almost that Turkey *needs* the military to take back control and
to restore order, from time to time, even though these interventions
have a heavy price.

The account given in this book of recent activity by political
parties in Turkey shows (1) that they are moving toward a
liberalization of the restrictions on religion in culture and
politics and (2) that women are taking and taking a more active part
in Turkish politics (thought more in the role of foot soldiers than
as powerful members of the government).Turkey watchers can expect
to see interesting times ahead with respect to both of these
movements.

The last chapters of the book tell two important stories: (1) the
formation of Turkey's contemporary political parties and (2) the
dialog and dispute over secularism and the integration of Islam into
politics.As I write this (Sept. 12, 2010), the AKP, Turkey's
current ruling party, has gained approval in drafting a new
constitution.That vote is likely to be taken as approval for a
role of moderate Islam in the Turkish political process and a vote
against hard-line secularism.

If you still need a reason for reading this book, think about the
importance of Turkey as a rational actor in the Middle East and
think about the possible significance of this vote in re-introducing
religion back into the politics of Turkey.

An interesting though lacking piece on modern Turkey
The modern republic of Turkey has recently been featured in the Western media quite frequently; whether it being its vociferous campaign on the passing of an Armenian Genocide resolution in the US Congress or its unilateral military initiatives in Iraq against the Kurds, Turkey, as the authors of this book quite rightly and matter-of-factly state, comes off as a contradiction of sorts to the ordinary viewer, neither being a truly Western nor Eastern power yet having a significant ability to bridge the gap between the two cultures.

The Popes, a husband and wife team, are British journalists and they set about to unravel the enigma that is Turkey. The book concentrates primarily on the Turkish state that was established in 1923 from a top-heavy perspective and does a decent job by providing an objective look on all the major political players of the political establishment. Turgut Ozal, the prime minister and president of Turkey from the 1980s to the early 1990s, clearly comes off as the hero who pulled Turkey from its bootstraps by enacting legislation, encouraging Western investment, and tempering down its wild inflation. On other fronts, the Popes spare no criticism in castigating the doubled-edged sword that is the Turkish military (sworn to protect Turkey and its secular nature), the narrow-minded attacks that Turkish political parties level at each other and both the Turks' and Kurds' blatant disregard for human rights. Turkish culture and the current struggle between secularism and Islam is lightly explored also, but it leaves much to be desired

Though all this is well and good, the book does have significant shortcomings. The book devotes to Mustapha Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish state and so revolutionary and significant a figure, a mere 19 pages (one chapter) and does not at all go into depth of the groundbreaking changes Ataturk initialized and abolished when he became president in 1923. Even after this chapter, his name is only mentioned sparingly and only then used to repeat what he had accomplished. A second significant fault in this book is the Popes' shameless denial of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Picking up directly the Turkish line of argument, the Popes provide a distorted picture of the events that led up to the Genocide and go even further in what happened later. This chapter (ch. 2) is written in ambivalent and apprehensive language, as if the Popes both wish to dwell more on the topic and drop it at the same time. The Ottoman government is not criticized at all here, nor are Turkey's current-day policies, nor Turks for their denial of the Genocide; one wonders what the Popes' reaction was when Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was killed in January 2007 and the notorious role Article 301 of the Turkish law code plays in Turkey to this day.

A basic knowledge of Turkey is required, although I recommend this book half-heartedly. You can read it to understand Turkey better, but will only be able to lift the veil halfway through.

Journalistic and Biased
Don't think this book is completely useless. But it's not a serious resource about Turkey. If you already know a lot about this country (I mean if you already read for exemple Kalaycioglu's Turkish Dynamics or at least Zürcher's History of Turkey) Popes' book may be interesting in order to understand how foreigners see Turkey, Turkish people and turkish politics.
However, I saw much better exemples of this kind of "journalistic account" books such as the "The Turks" by David Hotham (published 40 years ago), or the recent Crescent and Star by Kinzer. I think Mango's The Turks Today is the best, altough Mango prefer to not deal with some "sensitive" subjects.

Popes' book is heavily biased, especially in some parts. Their style remembers me some orientalist authors who were against the idea of modernization of the east. Still, some people are disapointed by discovering a modernizing country in Turkey, instead of an oriental one, where people ride camels while girls are doing belly-dancing. So I call this type of text "neo-orientalistic".

Another point is, just as it is with some other foreign journalists working in Turkey (especially french), they still think in terms (and paradigms) of the country from where they are; and they are tended to suggest "solutions" for everything. Their country is the correct one, and others are "deviations". When reading Turkey Unveiled, you can see that the authors can't stop seeing things that way. So they just misundertand some important facts and make very subjective comments. That's what french call "donneur de leçon" attitude ("lesson-giver").

Another very important point: yes there is a bibliography at the end but almost no references inside !!! We can't understand if what they wrote is from a real source or just a rumor.

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ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION SECOND "REVIEW" ADDED
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Dear Amazon Users,

I decided to write a second "review" in order to get your attention to the following facts:

1) Most of the positive reviews like"...I didn't read the book yet but I will definitely buy it" are ANONYMUS !!!

2) A person has 2 separate positive reviews, one on this page, the other at the page two (click "next" to see)

I believe this 2 and most of the other (+) reviews are just advertisement. I suspect that the person who managed wrote 2 reviews is probably a friend of the authors.

You can think and say what you want about Turkey and Turks, but please try to read serious authors : (in English) Feroz Ahmad, Eric Zürcher, Ersin Kalaycioglu, Caglar Keyder, Tim Jacoby, William Hale (in French) Paul Dumont, François Georgeon, Stephanos Yerasimos, Jean Paul Burdy, Semih Vaner, Jean Paul Roux...

Yes some are turkish but non of these are "Turkish-lovers" and they don't hide their critics about a lot of issues including armenian massacres, cyprus, kurdish question, human rigths and democratization issues...

Read and decide by yourself !

Thanks.

Good reference for the history of modern Turkey
This book is probably one of the best books to read about modern history of Turkey, which commonly starts from 1923, the establishment of Turkish Republic. Some date it back to 1908, the year the Constitution was reinstated for the second time and after when Committee of Union and Progress had been really dominant in Turkey's governance. Some might date it back to 1876, recognition of the First Constitution the by Ottoman Sultan, or to 1839, when Tanzimat Ferman was declared in Gulhane Park. Whatever it dates back to, Popes give some background on second half of the 19th century of Turkey, which lays the basics to understand the years of the new Turkish Republic.
The authors distinguish mostly what the facts are and what their thoughts/critisisms are on certain important issues, and the book has a notes section in the end for each chapter, in which they explain more in detail. To compare, I didn't feel like they had penetrated well into the Turkish society as much as a Stephen Kinzer did, but felt like they followed the events and the media very well. Overall, this is a good work, and definitely worth reading for people who are interested in modern Turkish history.

Eyes Unveiled
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder as the saying goes. But if eyes can't see beauty is lost just the same. This book demands eyes of minds be unveiled to appreaciate the majesty of an honorable country and its people.

To be sure British authors seem to have a knack to educate people--indeed Turks themselves--about the Turkish history and her culture. The Popes' book "Turkey Unveiled" is no exception to this trend. It reads as though it is a sequel to Lord Kinross's masterpiece "Ataturk".

Each chapter begins with a short proverbial quotation by a Turkish politician, a storyteller, or a Turkish newspaper editorial. One such quote by Suleyman Demirel in particular seems to represent the entire Turkish politics since time immemorial: "You can take power with a bayonet. But you can't sit on it." Time and again Turkish politics have been wrought by the Turkish military, a double-edged sword of the implacable Kemalist ideology.

Popes share with the reader the good, the bad, and the ugly side of Turkish politics since the early days of the Turkic tribes from Central Asia all the way to modern-day Turkey. There is greater attention paid to the latter.

As any Turk would relate to the "melancholy, long-drawn-out ballads of their ancestors." So would he relate to "cartoon stories about the cowboy Lucky Luke"; strangely enough the Popes never mention "Lucky Luke" is known in Turkey as "Red Kit". They should add this footnote in the next edition.

The book is witty, objective, and heavily supported by verifiable references. If you need to learn about Turkey, this is an excellent book. If you are a Turk, this book is a must.

... Read more

Product Description
The Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and most influential empires in world history. Its reach extended to three continents and it survived for more than six centuries, but its history is too often colored by the memory of its bloody final throes on the battlefields of World War I. In this magisterial work--the first definitive account written for the general reader--renowned scholar andjournalist Caroline Finkel lucidly recounts the epic story of the Ottoman Empire from its origins in the thirteenth century through its destruction in the twentieth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Judged the Book by its cover
I made the mistake of judging this book by its cover.In this case, it was the most interesting thing about the book.

The beautiful artwork spoke to my interest in the Ottoman Empire, a subject I loved enough to take as an entire undergrad history elective.I expected a passionate narrative of the rise of the Sultans and their integration into European politics.

Instead, I got a dry chronicle of acts by 2-dimensional characters with little motivation or context for their actions.Rather than tell a story, the book merely recites events as a chronicle.The exciting conflicts with the Byzantines, Habsburgs and the Tsars become as exciting as reading the Federal Register.

Historians are supposed to be objective and well-researched, and this work certainly fits that criteria.They also should be able to spin a tale from the raw material of history that not only holds the readers attention, but gives them a 3-dimensional understanding of their subject matter.This book certainly fails on this matter.

Unfortunately, the book isn't even properly arranged to use as convenient reference material, so any researcher would have to wade through pages of dense, dull prose to find relevant citations.

Comparing this to a work of Barbara Tuchman or Alison Weir, I was unable to get past the 4th chapter, whereas I devoured the works of the other great historical writers.There are just too many other books available that are better written and achieve their aims with far less effort and tedium on the reader's part.

A Decent History of the Ottoman Empire
This is a scholarly review of the political and military history of the Ottoman Empire, from its foundation in the early 14th century until the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923.Because the material covers over six hundred years in just over 550 pages, it is unavoidably superficial in most places.As a result, it is helpful as a college-level, introductory survey of the Ottomans, best followed up with more detailed study.It is far too general to be of much use to a specialist.I believe it is too dense for the casual reader, so I would not recommend it to anyone without a real interest in middle eastern history.

The book is a political history, with extremely rare forays into matters of culture, religion, ethnicity, art or architecture.We are presented with an endless list of Sultans, viziers, military commanders, battles, treaties and boundaries, and virtually no analysis.For example, we have no discussion of the reasons the early Ottomans were so overwhelmingly successful at expanding the empire.The Ottomans were one of the first middle eastern empires to adopt gunpowder weapons, but Finkel does not discuss this adoption, or the impact it had on early conquests.Indeed, Finkel's discussions of warfare in general is universally vague -- she tells us who won the battles, but not why.

Another problem is that the book gives extremely little notice to more distant Ottoman realms, in North Africa, Egypt, the Hijaz and Syria/Palestine.Near the end, when the Empire begins to fragment, we get some mention of Mehmet Ali [Muhammad Ali] and the sharifs of Mecca.This is extremely cursory, and the subject is abandoned soon after it is taken up.

In conclusion, this book does tolerably well at achieving a limited goal: providing a general survey to a college-level beginner, as a springboard to more advanced studies.Readers looking for something beyond that narrow scope will be disappointed.

I have some specific comments about the contents of the book, but for space considerations I will put them in a comment to this review.

Excellent Narrative History
Excellent narrative history, with sound research in the primary sources, of the Ottoman Empire, one of the greatest states of the modern era.

A detailed, comprehensive history
Finkel's history of the Ottoman empire is certainly comprehensive in scope, encompassing the empire from its origins in the late middle-ages to the rise of Ataturk.Yet I begrudgingly give it four stars.While the scope and scale of the Ottoman empire is presented in detail, there was an ebb and flow to the relative strength of her writing, which was distracting.

The first quarter of the history is remarkable - I assume this is Finkel's area of expertise, given the detail of the political, religious and social climate of Anatolia and the eastern Mediterranean in the 13th and 14th centuries.How Osman began to exploit the various divisions of competing ethnic groups,religions, and constantly shifting political loyalties is shown masterfully.With such a strong start, I was disappointed in her treatment of the founding and expansion of the empire in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Recognizing that this is an *Ottoman* history, I had expected more detail and information on the conquest and occupation of the Balkans, the political competition between Hungary, Poland, Habsburg Austria and the mariatime powers of Venice and Genoa.These states were of course disucssed, but I had expected a deeper, more nuanced historical analysis of the complex econcomic and political competition between each of them.

Thankfully Finkel again finds her footing as she writes about the 18th and 19th centuries - in fact, her discussion of the slow and painful implosion of the Ottoman empire was, to me at least, the best part of the book as she intertwines the various causes of its decline: increased econcomic competition from industrializing European nations, the influx of silver from the New World, new shipping routes to India and Asia, the adoption of "real politik" by European nation-states (and the reluctance to do so by the Ottomans), growing national movements within the Ottoman empire, and of course the overall reluctance by the Janissaries and ulaema to embrace change and moderinzation in any form.

In writing, the amount of historical detail is almost overwhelming - repeatedly I had to remind myself what the larger point being made was given the sheer volume of information she shares.Clearly she is writing for an academic audience, something potential customers may want to keep in mind.In writing for an academic audience, I was disappointed at the relative lack of primary sources she used in her research and writing; many sources are translations or are cited in previously published works.All criticism aside, this is a densely detailed work, with a comprehensive view of the Ottoman empire, and a solid history of an important empire in world history.

A great resource for Ottoman history-it is large for a reason
This book is large for a reason- it is a comprehensive work on the History of the Ottoman Empire, not a small pocket-sized guide for just anyone. That is what is lost here, for this book delivers on what it promises. If you wish to know much more about the details of the Ottoman Empire and love history, then I highly recommend this work. It starts from the first conquests of the Ottomans onwards up until the beginnings of the Turkish Republic under Ataturk, which is 600 years of fascinating events. It provides details into the minds of each ruler and his governmental structure, how relations were improved or destroyed, and provides many references from primary sources which add to the narrative. Don't buy this book if you want a quick lesson- buy it if you are truly serious in learning more of the history of the Ottoman Empire. ... Read more

Product Description
Turkey's modern history has been shaped by its society and its institutions. In this fourth volume of The Cambridge History of Turkey a team of some of the most distinguished scholars of modern Turkey have come together to explore the interaction between these two aspects of Turkish modernization. The volume begins in the nineteenth century and traces the historical background through the reforms of the late Ottoman Empire, the period of the Young Turks, the War of Independence and the founding of the Ataturk's Republic. Thereafter, the volume focuses on the Republican period to consider a range of themes including political ideology, economic development, the military, migration, Kurdish nationalism, the rise of Islamism, and women's struggle for empowerment. The volume concludes with chapters on art and architecture, literature, and a brief history of Istanbul. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume examines the rise of Turkish power in Anatolia from the arrival of the first Turks at the end of the eleventh century to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Taking the period as a whole, the volume covers the political, economic, social, intellectual and cultural history of the region as the Byzantine empire crumbled and Anatolia passed into Turkish control to become the heartland of the Ottoman empire. In this way, the authors emphasise the continuities of the era rather than its dislocations, situating Anatolia within its geographic context at the crossroads of Central Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The world which emerges is one of military encounter, but also of cultural cohabitation, intellectual and diplomatic exchange, and political finesse. This is a state-of-the-art work of reference on an understudied period in Turkish history by some of the leading scholars in the field. ... Read more

Product Description
Since the first century B.C., the rugged, mountainous region that stretches from the southern edge of the Balkan Peninsula to the western arm of Asia Minor has been at the heart of European civilization, influencing its costume and culture. From ancient Greece to the Byzantium and Ottoman empires, "Greece and Turkey" takes the reader through more than 2,000 years of European costume history. In this volume, you will find out about: life beneath the veil for women in the sultan's palace; why Greek men sometimes wore no clothes at all; how Byzantine spies stole the secret of silk from the Chinese; and, how nationalism and Westernization affected clothing in 19th-century Greece and Turkey. ... Read more

Product Description
Reform, Revolution and Republic: The Rise of Modern Turkey, 1808-1975 is the second book of the two-volume History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey. It discusses the modernization of the Ottoman Empire during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the spread of nationalism among its subject peoples, and the revolutionary changes in Ottoman institutions and society that led to the Empire's demise and the rise of the democratic Republic of Turkey. Based on extensive research in the Ottoman archives as well as Western sources, this volume analyzes the external pressures, reform measures, institutional changes, and intellectual movements that affected the heterogeneous Ottoman society during the Empire's last century. It concludes with an analysis of contemporary Turkey's constitutional and political structures and principal domestic and foreign problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

extremely dry
The book moves through so many people so quickly that it is difficult to follow what is being talked about.The names are unfamiliar, the places are unfamiliar; and the maps often don't name the areas being mentioned.The font is extremely small and eye strain is also a problem.This type of material is what makes history unpalatable. I have discovered since leaving school that history is fascinating, but one needs to be able to learn about the times, the people and the places.Just dates and events, with people never being fleshed out is extremely boring.I was very disappointed in these books.

Does Dr. Mario-Jean Bouchard lack basic skills in mathematics? Sure looks like it..
Dr. Mario-Jean Bouchard;

If you are looking for fundamental errors, you need not go any further than the Armenian allegations, including those LEGISLATED by the French.

At the end of WW1, the Armenians reported a loss of 300 thousand due to the deportation, with another 300 thousand in difficulty in Syria. Decades later, after the Nuremberg Trials brought the Holocaust to plain view, Armenians began repackaging their story: The casualty figure became 1 million, 2 million, reaching 2.5 million at the height of its hype (thanks to Armenian terrorism, supported by France until French began to die. Remember the Oslo bombing?).I think France finally "settled" on 1.5 million -- I guess the French did the noble and mathematically-correct thing, averaging all of the numbers Armenians have been producing from thin air.

Serious scholars have every reason to study and challenge Prof. McCarthy's methods and conclusions - he himself invites everyone to do so and has laid bare his assumptions, methods, numbers, calculations and sources for the purpose in his books, in which he makes a strong case against the charge of genocide.However, those in support of the genocide charge have not produced anything of substance we can study and critique.

It is no coincidence that Armenians have been seeking purely political means to BUY verdicts (what they claim will "settle the matter"!) by enlisting politicians as mercenaries

A political approach resonates strongly with countries with a large number of Turkish skeletons in their closets and Turkish blood on their hands. For example, we know France provided more than just "moral assistance" to the Armenian "revolutionaries" starting years, if not decades, before the massive Armenian rebellion of 1914.It is no surprise that the French people are, shall we say, reluctant to take the path of science and due process.The Turkish body parts that are bound to be dug up from French and Armenian back yards would stir up very serious controversies, and, may cause serious embarrassment if not weaken the genocide claim.Also, it avoids having to explain why the French did nothing to take the Ottoman's to court in Malta when they had EVERY opportunity at the end of WW1 as the victors.

So, if you are French:

1. It is better to condemn McCarthy's work without providing alternatives.

2. It is also better to seek an up-or-down vote in parliament.

So, if you are a Turk:

Maybe France will accept a vote by the Turkish parliament about the Algerian Genocide?

...

The process, i.e. disciplined, transparent, competent, expert, etc. effort, that characterizes the Nuremberg Trials - DUE PROCES -- revealed the *history* of the Holocaust.

Armenians and their supporters like the French, have purposefully skirted, even resisted the obvious process one would have to follow to defend an allegation as serious as the crime of genocide.Yet, this is what the French continue to do.

In short, if you are French, Nazis get a fair trial in a court and are embraced by the French as neighbors; Turks get political lynching in a French parliament and are excommunicated, with no right of appeal.

And, yet, they still talk about "fundamental mathematical errors"!

The French case does not add up!

So much for YOUR integrity and mathematical correctness, monsieur.

A Short History of One of the Longest Lasting Empire.
This book shows that the Ottoman Empire lasted over 600 years because of their tolerance and idealism that promoted freedom of religion and speech that was unseen in the world during the time. It's important to note that propagandists who do not like the Ottoman Empire and the author's views on certain small subjects dealing with the Ottoman Empire will likely give negative ratings, but these are understandable, since few historians have covered the topic of the Ottoman Empire, since it is the most under-researched empire in history.

A counter to Dr. Bouchard's poor review.
This work was not intended to bring to the forefront a great debate over the Armenian Question, Dr. Bouchard! The purpose of this work is to cover an extensive period of Ottoman history in a small amount of pages, and I think it is presented well. Merely rejecting the words of Dr. Shaw based upon such a narrow, controversial topic as the Armenian Question is not being true to the people who want solid reviews.

True the work is very detailed in its factual presentation, but it educates the reader on the many facets of Ottoman civilization. Too many authors of Ottoman history fail to get to the true meat of the matter, and Dr. Shaw does not dissapoint. I would recommend this to any student of Ottoman history as an overall guide to the events during the period it covers.

Excellent history
Thorough and accurate; a solidly impressive look at a historical area much neglected in the west.

Shaw's extensive volume covers much more than the Armenian experience in Ottoman days, yet those who are single-minded about this particular topic have nothing better to do than to try and discredit. Witness Reviewer "Dr. Mario-Jean Bouchard," and his seedy attempt to knock not only Prof. Shaw, but the work of others that don't conform to his zealous pro-Armenian views. "Many unsupported references"?? If anything, "History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey" has a multitude of well-referenced facts. Bringing up the highly unprofessional methodology of similarly genocide-obsessed pseudo-academicians as Robert Melson and others provides sad commentary on the unethical methods of fanatics. Armenian extremists actually bombed the Los Angeles home of Prof. Shaw in 1977, because they did not approve of the "Armenian" chapter of this book. Reviewers with an agenda provide a different form of terrorism when their mission is to attempt the destruction of a person's credibility... and there are times when the weapon of the pen can be mightier than the sword. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

How Happy is the Person Who Says I am a Turk
There is one country in Europe where people feel nostalgic for the 1930s, and where they almost unanimously cherish the memory of a one-party state which multiplied statues of its great leader on every street corner. The country is Turkey and the golden age that Turks remember with nostalgia is the first two decades of the republic founded in 1923 by Mustapha Kemal, the father of all Turks. The climax of this era of bliss and hope occurred with the tenth anniversary celebrations of the declaration of the Turkish Republic, when Atatürk famously declared: "How happy is the person who says I am a Turk!"

Nostalgia is a thoroughly modern sentiment. Or maybe a postmodern one: it is fair to say that modernity ended with the end of hope for tomorrow. Since then, people have looked for their utopias in the past rather than in the future. As Esra Özyürek notes, quoting another author, the twentieth century began with a futuristic utopia and ended with nostalgia. A belief in the future is now only a relic of the past. What people look for in the past is the kind of pride and hope in the future that seems to have disappeared from our present.

By locating their modernity in the past, rather than in the present or future, and by cultivating a vivid memory of the 1930s as a modern past utopia in which the citizens united around their state, many Turks with a nationalist-secular worldview tend to reject the visions, revisions and divisions that characterize the present situation. They are discontent with the new definition of modernity that the European Union imposes on Turkey, becoming resistant to criticisms of the way Turkey has handled the Kurdish issue and human rights violations. They firmly oppose the rise of political Islam and what they perceive as attacks to the foundations of the secular state.

For nostalgic Republicans, the end of the single-party regime and the transition to democracy formed the starting point of selfishness and factionalism in Turkey. They agree that the golden age came to an end with the first fair general elections of 1950, when the Democrat Party replaced the Republican People's Party. Everything apparently got worse afterwards. Suddenly, there was more than one vision for the future of the country, and citizens were divided along the lines of gender, class, ethnicity, and religion. People started putting their private interest above the common good embodied by the state.

Of course, paradise is always and forever lost, and nobody in Turkey really wants to turn back the clock backward to the 1930s. The militaristic and patriarchal feelings associated with the early Republican era no longer match the contemporary ideals of European modernism, which promotes voluntarism, spontaneity, and free will in state-citizen relations. The nationalist march songs with lyrics glorifying the construction of railroad tracks and the devotion to the leader are revisited today with a new aesthetic of postmodern kitsch and disco rhythm. Nostalgia is also used to silence the opposition, as when the remix of nationalist songs blasted by discotheques compete with the calls to prayer of the muezzin.

In Nostalgia for the Modern, Esra Özyürek explores how nostalgia for the single-party era is indicative of a new kind of relationship citizens have established with the founding principles of the Turkish Republic, one that manifests itself in affective, domestic, and otherwise private realms generally considered outside the traditional field of politics. She takes as the sites of her ethnography the seventy-fifth anniversary Republic Day celebrations arranged by civil society organizations; the popular life histories of first-generation Republicans who transformed their lives as a result of the Kemalist reforms; the commercial pictures of Atatürk that privatize and commodify a state icon; the pop music albums that remixed the tenth-anniversary march originally made in 1933; and museum exhibits about the family lives of citizens that articulate metaphors of national intimacy.

Özyürek sees a parallel between the neoliberal policies of market reforms and structural adjustment and what she describes as the privatization of state ideology. Both are characterized by a symbolism of privatization, market choice, and voluntarism that contrasts with the statist, nationalist and authoritarian ideology of Kemalism in the former period. With neo-Kemalism, a secular state ideology, politics, and imaginary finds a new life and legitimacy in the private realms of the market, the home, civil society, life history, and emotional attachment, transforming the intimate sphere along the way.

This shift of secular ideology from the public to the private, which (just like neoliberal economic reforms) involves processes of destatization and restatization, occurred just at the same time as, and in reaction to, the growing importance in the public sphere of religious beliefs and practices that were once confined in the private realm. Secularism went private just when Islam went public, as both had to face the shift produced by market reforms and liberalization. This exploration of cultural imaginaries associated with the neoliberal ideology opens up new possibilities for political anthropology: according to the author, "anthropologists are uniquely equipped to understand the newly hegemonic culture of neoliberalism in the fields of economy, society and politics."

There is also an autobiographical aspect to this ethnography. For Esra Özyürek, fieldwork was intimately linked to family work. As she confesses, "I am the granddaughter of a parliamentarian of the single-party regime and the daughter of two staunch Kemalist and social democrat activists affiliated with the Republican People's Party." Raised as an orthodox Kemalist, her mother is a firm believer in Westernization, secularism, and Turkish nationalism. She doesn't hesitate to chastise her daughter for her sympathy with the cause of veiled university students. Her father is also a stalwart Republican who was elected to Parliament in the course of her research. Analyzing further her motivations for undertaking this project, the author notes that "this study became a tool for me to negotiate daughter-parent relations and establish myself as an adult in some ways." Coming of age as an anthropologist also involves dealing with the father-figure of Atatürk, whose towering presence makes itself felt in every chapters of the book.

Written as a scholarly essay with a rich theoretical apparatus, Nostalgia for the Modern can also be read as a very personal rendition of the author's effort to come to terms with her Turkish identity. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was written in 1915.This was a time that saw many significant events that affected the Balkans.Written by four different authors from different locations, here is their preface to “The Balkans”.

PREFACE

The authors of this volume have not worked in conjunction. Widely separated, engaged on other duties, and pressed for time, we have had no opportunity for interchange of views. Each must be held responsible, therefore, for his own section alone. If there be any discrepancies in our writings (it is not unlikely in so disputed a field of history) we can only regret an unfortunate result of the circumstances. Owing to rapid change in the relations of our country to the several Balkan peoples, the tone of a section written earlier may differ from that of another written later. It may be well to state that the sections on Serbia and Bulgaria were finished before the decisive Balkan developments of the past two months. Those on Greece and Rumania represent only a little later stage of the evolution. That on Turkey, compiled between one mission abroad and another, was the latest to be finished.

If our sympathies are not all the same, or given equally to friends and foes, none of us would find it possible to indite a Hymn of Hate about any Balkan people. Every one of these peoples, on whatever side he be fighting to-day, has a past worthy of more than our respect and interwoven in some intimate way with our history. That any one of them is arrayed against us to-day is not to be laid entirely or chiefly at its own door. They are all fine peoples who have not obtained their proper places in the sun. ... Read more

Product Description
This book chronicles the story of a group of individuals caught at a crossroads and targeted in the cross fires of history. In 1933 events in their native Germanic lands presented them with a "Hobson's choice"-leave if you can or die! Their lives were saved because Turkey was discarding the society and culture inherited from the Ottomans' derelict and shattered empire while recognizing and addressing the need to modernize its society, culture, way of living, and system of higher education.Using a collection of third-party archival documents, cotemporaneous family and collegial correspondence, memoirs, oral histories, photos, and other surviving evidence Arnold Reisman documents the fears, the courage, the heartaches, and the determination of these brilliant people as well as their contributions to shifting established paradigms in several fields of knowledge. He also speculates about Turkey's inabilities to fully capitalize on these emigres' legacy.The book is intended for lay readers interested in history of the 20th Century, history of science, history of Turkey, the Holocaust, and in a case study of post-Islamic national development. "This book adds to our knowledge of an important aspect of the Holocaust, and of the behavior of Nation States in the modern world of woe and grief."- Sir Martin Gilbert, Winston Churchill's official biographer and a leading historian of the modern world. He is the author of The Holocaust: A History of the Jews of Europe During the Second World War."This book should be on the 'must-read' list of books about World War II and the years preceding it."- Dr. Israel Hanukoglu, Former Science Adviser to the Prime Minister of Israel. Currently Professor and Chairman of the Department of Molecular Biology, College of Judea and Samaria, Ariel, Israel."This book involves five major topics: science, history, politics, economics, and the arts. It is the earliest comprehensive essay in the English language, on the German émigrés who, while taking refuge in Turkey after 1933, contributed to the modernization of its higher education, and to the implementation of research activities and social reforms."- Prof. Dr. Feza Günergun, Chair for History of Science, Faculty of Letters, Istanbul University, Beyazit-Istanbul, Turkey. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Mae Sonmez
Prof. Reisman thank you very much for all the work you did for your book. As a Istanbul University graduate, you made me proud of my university. I couldn't stop reading the book. It was also very helpful for who doesn't know anything about Turkey. I highly recommend.

BOOK REVIEW
Review written by Shaul P.Ladany, Martha Flatto-Ladany
Arnold Reisman's book provides the first deep analysis of the impact that Jewish Immigrants from Germany had on the development of modern Turkey. It provides insights on their influence on the growth of the economy, business & industry, science and arts. On one hand it is a serious meticulous investigation, and on the other hand it is an exciting and vivid reading. It is a must and recommended reading to every person interested in history, immigration, social sciences (and especially social mobility), Jewish studies, and obviously in Turkey.

In depth information about a little known topic
This book is about the story of the German-Jewish professors that were displaced by the [..]and were invited to come to Turkey by Ataturk's government. About 150 of them came in the 1933-1938 time frame. Some stayed for a few years, many stayed for 10 years or more. Some have stayed until retirement.The book, about 470 pages long and illustrated with many photographs and other material, is a really well-researched investigation into * the world circumstances that made this episode possible* the individuals who arranged the mechanics of this immigration* the personal life stories of these very capable scholars* how they adapted to life in Turkey* how they impacted Turkey's university education and modernization* the nature of the support and non-support they received from the government and the people This was a subject I had fleeting knowledge about. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, which greatly enhanced my knowledge and understanding of the subject. It also provided yet another illustration of the vision and genius of Ataturk in making deft use of every opportunity to improve his nation. It triggered in my mind the thought that Turkey probably had a second similar opportunity at the time of the disintegration of the Soviet Union, when top tier scientists in select fields could have easily been induced to come to Turkey. Unfortunately, political cadres in charge at the time had nowhere near Ataturk's vision. I would highly recommend this book to everyone. It is very readable and has many details that our generation can relate to. An interesting trivia is that Einstein was one month away himself from coming to Turkey within these group of scholars, when he received an offer from Princeton.

WOWW
A fascinating read.

I am very involved with genealogy, so I really enjoyed the memoirs.

The structure of the book was different and refreshing.

Highly recommended especially for college library, international studies and Turkish history shelves.
Written by Arnold Reisman Ph.D., who has served as Visiting Scholar in Turkey at both Sabanci University and the Istanbul Technical University, Turkey's Modernization: Refugees from Nazism and Ataturk's Vision is enlightening true story of how the Turkish Government of Mustafa Kernal Atatuk and Ismet Inonu accepted German and Austrian Jews, and took advantage of these victims of racial prejudice and persecution to aid the Turkish Republic's progress in academic, scientific, and medical undertakings. Tracing the lasting impacts of builders, preservers, creators, social reformers, healers, and scientists, as well as the problems they encountered, the turbulence caused by World War II and their attempts to emigrate to the U.S., Turkey's Modernization is a fascinating parable of how Turkey capitalized upon the best and the brightest - as well as of its stumbling blocks, such as its cultural predispositions for encouraging talented scientists to be content as hired hands rather than strike out and forge new businesses. Highly recommended especially for college library, international studies and Turkish history shelves. ... Read more

Product Description
Written by renowned scholar Bernard Lewis, The Emergence of Modern Turkey has established itself as the preferred one-volume history of modern Turkey. It covers the emergence of Turkey over two centuries, from the decline and collapse of the Ottoman Empire up to the present day. In a new chapter, Lewis discusses the origins of his book in the Cold War era and the events that have taken place since its first publication in 1961. This new edition addresses Turkey's emergence as a decidedly Western-oriented power despite internal opposition from neutralists and Islamic fundamentalists. It examines such issues as Turkey's inclusion in NATO and application to the European Union, and its involvement with the politics of the Middle East. Authoritative and insightful, The Emergence of Modern Turkey remains the classic text on the history of modern Turkey. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Some facts but not all the facts
This book is obviously selective in what facts it wants to present.

How can it be a "complete" history of the emergence of Turkey without considering the impact of a significant minority whose treatment and the subsequent genocide is completely omitted.

I am of course referring to the Armenians.

Much of the events that shaped the course of evolution of the Ottoman empire, from late 19th to early 20 century, were defined by its reactionary responses to foreign castigation of the empire for its oppressive treatment of its minorities.

A decrepit and bankrupt empire, whose foundations were being eroded by interventionnist external powers, turned on its minorities, especially against its Armenian population, whose national re-awakening were prodded by the ever increasing persecution they faced as subjects of the ottoman empire. The cycle of persecution followed by further foreign condemnation and intervention fueled the suspicions of the rulers towards their minorities. This set up the conditions for what would be a disastrous beginning in the 20th century for the Ottoman empire and for most of its subjects, but particularly harsh for the Armenians.

The resurgence of nationalism was not limited to the minorities, Turkish awakening took the form of Pan-turkism which promulgated Turkish homogeneity from the Bosphorous to Central Asia.

The Ittihadist Turkish government of 1915, true to its pan-turkist ideology, then embarked on a final solution. The extermination of the entire Armenian population from their ancestral lands. Some 1.5 million armenians perished due to massacres, disease and starvation.

Since Lewis leaves out such a vital element out of his history of "emergence", it makes us wonder how much of a historian he is and how much of a merchant of selective truths.

don't hesitate!!!
i m telling you, dont hesitate to read this book...just trust me and let the show begin...

Lincoln was wrong...
... you can fool most of the people most of the time. The reliability of a historian does not rest on his/her fame, or even on writing talent or success, but also on the essential ingredient of intellectual integrity. Prof. Lewis has been, for a long time, a great denier of the Armenian genocide. He is contradicted by a historian who wrote: "A desperate struggle between [the Turks and Armenians] began, a struggle between two nations for the possession of a single homeland, that ended with the terrible holocaust of 1915, when a million and a half Armenians perished." Who wrote these lines? Prof. Lewis himself before he apparently sold out. Therefore, Five Stars for talent minus three stars for dishonesty.

Authoritative History of Modern Turkey
It's a little dry at times, but this is a well-written, scholarly history of the development of modern Tukey, focusing primarily uponthe late Ottoman period and going into revolutionary and modern Turkey.

Outdated
This book was long considered the classic description of the recent history of Turkey.The author has a beautiful writing style, and the book is a pleasure to read.It is by now fairly outdated, however, and the more recent history of Turkey provides reason to question some of Lewis's assumptions.

The book has largely been superseded by Erich Jan Zurcher's "A Modern History of Turkey", also available from Amazon, which can be seen as more reliable and covering issues which Lewis neglects.Professor Zurcher, of the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, has written an appreciative but nonetheless insightful commentary of the Lewis book.Readers considering purchasing the Lewis book would do well to read this commentary beforehand. ... Read more

Product Description

Students of antiquity often see ancient Turkey as a bewildering array of cultural complexes. Ancient Turkey brings together in a coherent account the diverse and often fragmented evidence, both archaeological and textual, that forms the basis of our knowledge of the development of Anatolia from the earliest arrivals to the end of the Iron Age.

Much new material has recently been excavated and unlike Greece, Mesopotamia, and its other neighbours Turkey, has been poorly served in terms of comprehensive, up-to-date and accessible discussions of its ancient past. Ancient Turkey is a much needed resource for students and scholars, providing an up-to-date account of the widespread and extensive archaeological activity in Turkey.

Covering the entire span before the Classical period, fully illustrated with over 160 images and written in lively prose, this text will be enjoyed by anyone interested in the archaeology and early history of Turkey and the ancient Near East.

Product Description
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. ... Read more

Product Description
A new edition of this acclaimed history of the OttomanEmpire from its beginnings to the Turkey of today. The story isbrought up to date by Clement H. Dodd. ... Read more