Kemal Ataturk

I am 63, yet I still find the book interesting for anyone in love with history. Ataturk achievements are living up to date. His ideas were greeted enthusiastically all the way in the new Turkey. Atatuk believed that `progress' begins with the language, and he gave point to changes in new Turkish `Alphabet' (`Latin-based'), that was feted and cheered by the large masses of the people. A symbol of the `decaying' Ottoman Empire was the fez and `sherwaal', both were banned and Turkish people were encouraged to wear European dress. All traditional Islamic clothing were abolished and virtually outlawed and revisited dress codes were introduced. Ataturk was a resistance fighter. He organized the `revolutionists' who protected the fatherland from being `devoured' by the `Allies' when they began to dismantle the `sick man of Europe'. Fifteen years holding the reign were not enough for the Father of the Turks to accomplish all his aspirations to better standard of living, and cultural reforms to his people. He died pretty young, at 57.

I'm in 7th grade and found this book helpful in getting an overview of Ataturk's accomplishments. It helped me to decide where to research further. The pictures were good. It's a little hard to find books (and websites) about him written in English, but this is a good one.