Review: The Ottoman Empire: From Beginning to End by Stephan Weaver

Title: The Ottoman Empire: From Beginning to End
Author: Stephan Weaver
Publication: March 12th 2016
Genre: Nonfiction ~ History
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: 4/5

Review copy received in exchange for an honest review.

   

A History from Beginning to End The modern Turkish state is one of the premiere powers in the Middle East. She possesses a formidable army and has important relationships and alliances with Western and European powers through her membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). However, many in the West are totally unaware that Turkey, in the very recent past, was the homeland to one of the most enigmatic and powerful empires in history: the Ottoman Empire.

Inside you will read about...
✓ List of Sultans
✓ People of the Steppe
✓ Foundation of Bones
✓ War Machine
✓ Coup d’états, Corruption, Janissaries, and Decline
✓ Betting on the Wrong Horse
✓ Autopsy of an Empire

The images that are evoked when one speaks of the Ottomans in the west is without fail Muslims in prayer, harems of exotic women, eunuch guards, lavish palaces and colourful fashions. All these things, without doubt, were indeed part and parcel of the Ottoman society and their royal court. Conversely, this is an extremely narrow view. Here we will dive into their world, their history, and their society. We do this to better understand the world’s last great old world empire. The rise and fall of the Ottoman juggernaut informs and influences the Middle East to this day.

I've always been very interested in The Ottoman Empire but it isn't something I know a whole lot about before I read this book. So this was super interesting for me to read. And I liked this book so much that I even read some of the chapters twice. That's something that doesn't happen a lot to me, actually. 

So obviously there was a bunch of stuff about this part of history that I didn't know like that the Ottoman Empire is among the longest reigning in history and The Ottomans financed the Protestant reformation in Europe in the 1500's in order to influence European politics. I loved learning that.

I also happen to have a favorite quote from this book. For some reason I just really liked the way this sentence was build up;

"Much like watching a building collapse in slow motion, the decline of the empire started with a few seemingly minor naval defeats at the hands of the rising Portuguese and Spanish empires in the 1500s, then evolved into a virus with a long incubation period – one that was about to infect the entire system of the Ottoman Empire."

Overall, The Ottoman Empire: From Beginning to End was obviously a great read. I learned so many things I didn't know about, which I loved. As always the book was written greatly and a very quick read. Definitely recommended!

       About the Author:

       Amazon | Facebook | Goodreads

Dedicated to the craft of writing, Stephan Weaver is a best-selling author who loves to pen anything related to history and mythology. With a love for immersing himself into other cultures, worlds, and even realms, Weaver is a former professor, historian, and archaeologist. It's no surprise that you can now find him tucked away with his laptop writing about these very things with commitment and devotion. Married to a beautiful wife and father to a son and daughter, Weaver loves to spend his free time with family, experience the world by traveling, and, of course, you'll never find him without a pen in hand. From the blinking cursor to the final page, he is deeply passionate about what he does. And it shows.