The Ottomans: 9dissolving Images

I liked this book a lot. This vivid narrative really brings the Ottomans to life and paints a colorful pictures of their interesting and (to westerners) exotic culture. Wheatcroft not only shows the good and bad spects of their society, and tells fabulous stories from Ottoman history, but he also seems to hold a mirror up to ourselves and shows how our own western culture has viewed the Ottomans through history. A fascinating study that will likely cause you to reevaluate your own view of the Ottomans and their history.

Andrew Wheatcroft opens his book by saying that he does not wish to write a full-blown history of the Ottoman Empire, as these already exist, mentioning Lord Kinross' book ["The Ottoman Centuries"] as an example. Indeed that is a first-class history. Rather, Wheatcroft continues, he wants to write about `the idea of the Ottomans and how in the West that idea became so completely divorced from the reality". I am not sure that THE OTTOMANS represents a successful attempt at doing that, but it is a very interesting book, well-worth reading for anyone with a desire to spend some hours thinking about the Turkish past.The two last chapters, on `the lustful Turk' and `the terrible Turk', truly delve into the construction and propagation of these commonly-held European images of the Ottomans, images that have not yet quite died off. Elsewhere, Wheatcroft occasionally remarks on or talks briefly about such images as they grew, but his work is more like a very interesting tour of some aspects of Ottoman life and history. His fine descriptions of battles and sieges---the initial siege and fall of Constantinople, the battle of Mohacs, the sieges of Vienna in 1529 and 1683---do not really fit into his theme. The full chapter spent on telling how the proud, corrupt and troublesome janissaries were finally destroyed provide a fascinating story, but are not about `the idea of the Ottomans'. While describing Ottoman institutions like the harem or army and the city of Stamboul itself, we can look through European eyes to some extent, thus coming closer to the theme, and the process of change, discussed in Chapter 6, called "Dreams from the Rose Pavilion: the Meandering Path of Reform", also involves European interpretations of the need for reforms and European estimations of their success. One of the highlights of THE OTTOMANS is the fine collection of pictures done by European artists---definitely a European view of the Turkish past. Not as much is made of these as could be: they might have been the center of the whole book. I liked Wheatcroft's constant attempt to make readers consider the exaggerations of the past, to make Western readers realize that the Ottoman Empire, despite its faults, was one of the major political entities of the world for over 400 years. For much of that time it had institutions that rivalled or outshone those of the West. Even when the Industrial Revolution and the concomitant rise of modern warfare tilted the scales of power towards the West, many European opinions of Turkish cruelty, corruption, or lack of cleanliness neglected European shortcomings in identical areas. If Westerners are ever going to accept Turkey as a member of the European community or merely as an equal ally and partner, a realization of these centuries of propaganda is a must. If you are looking for an academically useful book on the Ottoman Empire, this is probably not it. If, on the other hand, you just want a fascinating, well-illustrated book t

Although the book has a rather questionable scientific value, it is good reading for those who have doubts about and refuse to accept the image of the Ottomans as presented in the west. An excellent start for the history loving who wish to get a more balanced view on an empire and its people.

If you have an interest in understanding the contemporary Turkish culture and people, then this book is a must read for you.