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.

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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.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #85856 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 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 )

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 )

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

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Customer Reviews

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.

Eternal Damnation of the Spotless Mind (Bernard-Henri Levy)
I wasted my money on a so-called scientific book which deals with the Armenian Genocide on half a page, portraying Krikor Zohrab in a photo without commentary. Being a christian Armenian parliamentarian, Krikor Zohrab was a progressive writer, excellent lawyer and defender of universal human rights. He was savagely murdered in a group of six other Armenian intellectuals by the Young Turkish government. The author Shükrü Hanioglu does not dare to name what happened. To use Krikor Zohrab's picture among others and ommitting important facts is a shame.
But most striking is the low quality with which the author deals with the Armenian Genocide on twenty rows for 1 1/2 m deaths. One could expect the less is written about a matter the higher accuracy is attended by the author. - But again, his dealing with "the members of the Armenian-Apostolic Church living in and around the war zone" is outdated. Completely outdated - and intelligible finding out what other genocide denialists and revisionists are lecturing at the same faculty! Well done!