Recommended by Bernard Lewis:

The Ottoman Empire was the longest-lived regional regime in the Middle East since antiquity; it was also the most recent, and left enduring traces. Sükrü Hanioglu’s book is a major contribution to the better understanding of the region. His account is based on intimate knowledge of the Ottoman archives, as well as of many other sources, both internal and external. Concerned with trends more than events, this book illuminates the ideas and movements that shaped the course of history.

Two processes of change are of particular relevance. One is that of identity and loyalty, variously determined by faith, place, and blood; another is the theory and practice of government, evolving from authoritarian to democratic and/or dictatorial. Some of the words in later use, notably “constitution” and “revolution,” acquire special resonance against the late Ottoman background. All this is of obvious relevance to the better understanding of the present-day Middle East.

---

Product Description

At the turn of the nineteenth century, the Ottoman Empire straddled three continents and encompassed extraordinary ethnic and cultural diversity among the estimated thirty million people living within its borders. It was perhaps the most cosmopolitan state in the world--and possibly the most volatile. A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire now gives scholars and general readers a concise history of the late empire between 1789 and 1918, turbulent years marked by incredible social change.

Moving past standard treatments of the subject, M. Sükrü Hanioglu emphasizes broad historical trends and processes more than single events. He examines the imperial struggle to centralize amid powerful opposition from local rulers, nationalist and other groups, and foreign powers. He looks closely at the socioeconomic changes this struggle wrought and addresses the Ottoman response to the challenges of modernity. Hanioglu shows how this history is not only essential to comprehending modern Turkey, but is integral to the histories of Europe and the world. He brings Ottoman society marvelously to life in all its facets--cultural, diplomatic, intellectual, literary, military, and political--and he mines imperial archives and other documents from the period to describe it as it actually was, not as it has been portrayed in postimperial nationalist narratives. A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the legacy left in this empire's ruins--a legacy the world still grapples with today.

---

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #376064 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 264 pages

Review
There are many fine insights in this short book. It is no surprise that many relate to political hypocrisy, since Hanioglu is well known for his studies of the Young Turk political movement. But he also offers often-illuminating discussions of cultural changes, mainly those of the Ottoman official and middle strata.
(Choice )

[T]his book raises a series of new questions and calls for developing new approaches and ideas to analyze the last Ottoman century and understand better the rise of national states in the Balkans and the Middle East, especially Turkey. . . . In short, this is a thought-provoking book and I recommend it highly.
(Kemal H. Karpat American Historical Review )

Forgoing 'the worn-out paradigms of modernization and Westernization,' Hanioglu opts instead for a consideration of Ottoman responses to the challenge of modernity. . . . [This book] is a pleasure to read.
(Kate Fleet Journal of Islamic Studies )

The Ottoman Empire was the longest-lived regional regime in the Middle East since antiquity; it was also the most recent, and left enduring traces. Sükrü Hanioglu's A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire is a major contribution to the better understanding of the region. His account is based on intimate knowledge of the Ottoman archives, as well as of many other sources, both internal and external. Concerned with trends more than events, this book illuminates the ideas and movements that shaped the course of history.
(Bernard Lewis Middle East Strategy at Harvard )

This timely history is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the legacy left in the ruins of the empire--a legacy the world still grapples with today.
(Turkish Daily News )

A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the legacy left in this empire's ruins--a legacy the world still grapples with today.
(Spartacus Educational )

A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire deserves only unqualified praise. It is well written and comprehensive in its coverage--with diplomatic, economic and intellectual history interacting.
(Peter Clark Asian Affairs )

In all, this is a fine effort well worth reading for its valuable background to WWI, to the politics of modern Turkey and the other Ottoman successor states. Its maps are particularly useful.
(Len Shurtleff Listening Post )

[T]o readers familiar with the Ottoman Empire through the Balkans, A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire is especially commendable as a fresh introduction to a bygone view from Istanbul.
(Seth C. Elder Balkanalysis )

Hanioglu's seminal work presents a true spring of ideas not only for the late Ottoman history but also for the search of some earlier East Roman and Byzantine interplays of structures and identities.
(Wolfgang G. Schwanitz Sehepunkte )

Review
Without doubt the best history of the development of political ideas in the late Ottoman Empire. Haniogluu situates this history of ideas in the context of the political and diplomatic history of the empire as well as in the history of European political thought, of which he demonstrates a deep knowledge.
(Erik J. Zurcher, author of "Turkey: A Modern History" )

From the Inside Flap

"Without doubt the best history of the development of political ideas in the late Ottoman Empire. Haniogluu situates this history of ideas in the context of the political and diplomatic history of the empire as well as in the history of European political thought, of which he demonstrates a deep knowledge."--Erik J. Zürcher, author of Turkey: A Modern History

"A significant contribution, not only to the historiography of the late Ottoman Empire but also to the field of comparative studies of empires."--Fikret Adanir, coeditor of The Ottomans and the Balkans

---

Customer Reviews

top shelf scholarship
Admittedly this book is written for a narrow audience; to Hanioglu's credit he neither talks over the heads of readers, nor does he water-down the material. The book is at once informative, detailed, richly cited drawing from an abundance of primary sources, and discusses not only the political decline of the Ottoman Empire, but also the social, economic and intellectual components of its last two centuries.

The introduction provided an excellent summary of the politically untenable situation the Ottoman Empire found itself: as the nation states of Europe were beginning to assert themselves and the technological fruits of the Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution were beginning to ripen, the Ottoman leadership recognized its place in the sun was slipping. The remaining 200 pages discusses in elaborate detail with crystal clarity the myriad attempts made by successive Sultans to modernize and save the Empire. In a nutshell, these efforts failed because of equal parts internal resistance (from the Janisaries, the ulama, from regional powers) and external interference (Britain in particular does not come off very well.) I was especially impressed with the way in which complex inter-relationships (between social / economic classes, internal politics and international policies, international trade, intellecutal challenges and policies aimed at reforming and modernizing) were broken down into digestible pieces, their connections clearly stated, and the long-term results shown. This is no easy feat.

I do regret that more attention was not given the final decade of the Ottoman Empire: the emergence of the Young Turks, the Second Constitutional Period, and the partitioning of the empire among Britain and France. For those seeking a detailed and accessable history of the attempts at reforming the Ottoman Empire, this is the most authoritative and detailed text on the subject to date.

Great Book for Late Ottoman History
This book is an excellent summary of nineteenth century Ottoman History. The author relies entirely on primary material which he assembles masterfully. The book deals with political, social, cultural, and economic aspects of the Ottoman Empire, and offers fresh insights. The book presents well-balanced views, supported by solid evidence and sound interpretation, even in the most controversial aspects of the late Ottoman history. For a historian, non-historian, or anyone interested in the history of Ottoman Empire, Turkey, or Middle East, this is a great read and a reference book. I recommend it highly.

excellent book
This is a fascinating book on late Ottoman history, I recommend it to everybody who are both new to the subject and experts in the field.