Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire

Packed with details, well researched, good background for visiting Turkey or for getting a handle on what is going on now. The tensions in the area are historical and driving by economics. I found that the jumping between eras and sultans a bit disconcerting as was the similar names of viziers, sultans, and caliphs of different eras but that goes with the territory. Maybe some of our legislators should read up on the history of a very complex arena of culture, religion, present and past politics and economics.

It was a delight to read this book even though the topic was so familiar. One had to contend mostly with very narrow and stuffy academic treatments or blatant propaganda until recently if one wanted to just learn, as an ordinary interested person, about one of the last great empires, Ottomans. Even as a student of recent Ottoman history, much new perspective was gained. It is easy to read and enjoyable. It captures the colors, sounds, smells and tastes of this fascinating empire, its times and its adventures, effecting so much of what happens around us even today. How the Ottomans managed such a huge, multi-ethnic, multi-religious society for such a long time is also a very timely and relevant topic given the global political developments following the end of the Cold War. There are some quirks of style such as notes that lead to no interesting or related facts but seem to go tangential and comments that seem to just hang in the air, but it did not distract from the flow of the story at all. Readers without any background in the topic or region may feel lost a little at times as some of the reviews suggest. Historical accuracy and references are excellent, especially for a self-proclaimed travel-writer. It was especially appreciated by this reader that a strict chronological story line was not followed, which distinguishes it from other "history" books. Mr. Goodwin puts real people and events and motives behind the story, which has understandably frustrated those readers who would like to see Turks or Ottomans as pure evil and cause of everything ever done wrong. Mr. Goodwin does not give them much satisfaction. The Ottomans represented for a long while an alternate path to civilzation, if only world did not have boundries. I am still perplexed by the very strange epilogue while the very end of the empire, which is one of its most interesting and relevant periods, gets a very brief treatment. One only hopes that more of this type of writing follows this book. The topic is so rich, so poorly treated and so many lessons are to be learned yet. I recommend highly for all serious and casual readers.

Well the book was decent and I found the order in which it was written a little all over the place.It had informative information but It can get hard to go through sometimes.As someone who knows a a lot about Ottoman history it was ok read for me but I would say that it still has ground for improvising.

I just finished this dark and stormy popular historical book about the Ottoman Empire and I have to say that within fifteen pages of reading it I was utterly confused! Confused because studying Ottoman history for more than a decade now, and having lived in Turkey (and born there!), I didn't find anything Ottoman Turkish about it! And then that confusion I mentioned turned to anger! And then I was enraged!!! The last time I felt this feeling of injustice was several years ago when I read Glenn Beck's awful book-- It IS About Islam-- basically slamming Islam as a faith with footless arguments!I sincerely felt that author Jason Goodwin gave an unfair and dismal portrayal of the Ottoman Turks and their history (late 13th to early 19th century). It's sad that Goodwin left out much of its glory, and beauty, and its tolerance as a model of meritocracy, multiculturalism and egalitarianism. Some even say it was a model for the United States!The Ottoman Turks ruled for 600 years over a vast territory which included half of Europe. They let the people they ruled practice their own religion in their own houses of worship. In Istanbul you could find a mosque, church and synagogue on the same block! The Ottomans were pious and spirituality was infused into every part of their life. They revered nature, flowers, and time spent outdoors among trees and birds. They gave special, caring attention to animals, dogs, cats and children (that's probably why we have so many stray cats in Turkey!!!). They were highly charitable. I'm not saying the Ottomans were angels, but they were most certainly not the people portrayed in this book!Some examples of egregious depictions of the Ottomans and Istanbul...In the prologue he mentions the "grey, grey waters of the Bosphorus." Not true!!! I don't know what he is talking about! Has he ever visited Istanbul? The waters of the Bosphorus are so vividly blue that you would have to be colorblind not to notice this. But instead he tries to give a murky landscape to the main body way that flows through Istanbul. He writes of Topkapi Palace, the glorious palace that was home to the Sultans of the Empire for hundreds of years as a "petrified encampment of some defeated army." This is insulting to our past and the palace is no such thing-- I can attest to it myself having visited it numerous times. It is gorgeous and breathtaking. I wonder if he even visited it? He writes that the Ottomans were "ignorant of geography" and didn't use clocks! The Ottomans were working with the British, the French, even the Russians! How could this be possible if they didn't know geography or use clocks, or live in a modern way. Sultan Murad III was in correspondence with Queen Elizabeth I whom he had an alliance with, and Sultan Suleiman dealt constantly with the Venetians. The Ottomans were constantly interacting with the European world, yet Mr. Goodwin portrays then as anachronistic barbarians!He describes the empire as "darker," "gloomy," and "helpless." He writes of the Ottoman dynastic family as "mad." He specifically writes that they were an "incredibly mad and morbid family." He doesn't at all mention the magnificent Westward and Enlightened reigns of Selim III, Mahmud II and the incredible women who ruled it, Kosem Sultan and Hurrem Sultan, one as regent, the other behind the scenes.For me, this was not a true account of the empire but rather something created in Goodwin's own imagination. In the resources section I don't see the well known Turkish historians of the Ottoman Empire or many Turkish sources at all. This is his idea of this time and place, not the time and place itself! It's fascinating how even nonfiction historical books can become fiction in how they are penned!I would suggest that Mr. Goodwin spend some time in Turkey and take a course in Turkish, for starters. And then consider rewriting his version of our history! And I'm totally shocked that Picador (the publisher) did not do their diligence and allowed this book to be published!If you want a fictional account of the Ottoman Empire made up by the author's own imagination, then read this book. Otherwise I'd toss it! I've read over 100 books on the Ottoman Empire and lived in Turkey and can say this book has nothing to do with it!

Goodwin's history is not your standard chronological tale of rise, stagnation, decline, and fall. After a couple of introductory chapters setting the stage, he moves to a more thematic organization, occasionally skipping periods and jumping around, somewhat, chronologically. The book is probably better for those who already know something of European history in general (John Julius Norwich's book about the Mediterranean, The Middle Sea, is a good start for a general reader), but honestly most people who would read this book probably do. Also Goodwin is a pretty terrific writer, and never dull. Certain set pieces, like his description of the Ottoman siege of Constantinople, is the best I have read -- and I have read a bunch of them. Highly recommended with the caveat above.

I have just finished reading this wonderful book for the second time,immediately following my first reading. This was not because of any problem, but simply the sheer exuberant generosity with which Jason Goodwin has endowed his history of the Ottoman Empire. A cornucopia, horn of plenty, about the Golden Horn.Previous reviewers seem dismayed that this book is not a dusty academic piece of writing, accurate to the letter, but not the spirit, of the Ottoman Empire. It is written, not like a list on a war memorial - just names & dates but, in a way it is like a beautiful wall of Iznic tiles, or an embroidered quilt, and that style reveals far more of the multi-faceted culture & six century-long Osman dynasty's rule over vast lands & diverse peoples.I came to this book via an abiding affection for all things to do with the Ottoman Empire and especially Istanbul, its heart. Various novels, Jason Goodwin's own Yashim ones and other authors like Elif Shafak and Jenny White, Katie Hickman & Barbara Nadel encouraged me in a desire to explore more about Istanbul & hence resort to non-fiction.... the dark side!The great thing for an amateur who revels in ancient regimes is that works of historical fiction can spawn a serious interest in studying a person or period in a greater depth. This book, Lords of the Horizons is my bridge to that, as it combines a lightly worn but profound erudition ( doubtless the result of hours of research, reading dusty tomes) with a beautiful style of writing - friendly, amusing and delightfully digressive. Goodwin's footnotes area little treasure trove in themselves.So this largesse is why I have re-read Lords of the Horizons. I have no doubt I shall happily read it again & discover yet more interesting facts about this fascinating world.I would also recommend Ogier de Busbecq' Turkish Letters' trans.E.S.Forster

It’s certainly a very book introduction to Ottoman world, mainly in its classical period (first 3 centuries). Reading our history from a pure European perspective was exciting however; there are some schoolboy errors with the dates, people’s ages and sultan’s numbers. For example Kosem Sultan died when she was 62 not over 80, it was Mustafa III. who was beaten in 1697 not the forth, the Ottomans resolved their differences with Iran decisively in 1639 not in 1642. It may seem small but quite important date errors all over the book. Nevertheless an amazing attempt from a westerner.

This book has been on my wishlist for some time. I was really looking forward to reading it as I find the Ottoman empire really fascinating.For any book to try and cover the entire history would require volumes. This book lacks focus and I don't feel that I know much more about the Ottomans than I did before.There are parts of the book which suggest that the author actually looks down on the Ottomans, maybe making the mistake of judging history by current standards.

Never a dull moment in this tale of the Ottoman Empire, it's arranged more by theme than by chronology (that's at the back). It's a huge subject: if you seek a more classic approach, you may need to look elsewhere. However, now I have an appreciation of Turkish culture which I lacked before. I recommend it.

A very different book Mr. Goodwin really makes the Empire come alive before one's eyes. His description of both daily life and life in war, together with his use of descriptions from historical sources really makes this book stand out. Nevertheless the book is sometimes confusing, especially the first chapter, and some are real nuts to crack. Sometimes historical events are just thrown into context without being explained, or it is explained several pages or chapters later. This is the reason I only give it four stars. I still recommend the book highly, both to those familiar with this part of history and those entirely new to it.