The Ottoman Empire, 1700-1922 (New Approaches to European History) [Paperback]

Donald Quataert (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521633605 | ISBN-13: 978-0521633604 | Publication Date: July 31, 2000

The Ottoman Empire, 1700-1922 is the latest addition to the successful textbook series New Approaches to European History, and strikes a balance between social, economic, and political history. The Ottoman Empire was one of the most important non-Western states to survive from medieval to modern times, and played a vital role in European and global history. It continues to affect the peoples of the Middle East, the Balkans and central and western Europe to the present day. This major new survey examines the most important trends during the latter years of the empire; it pays attention to gender issues and to hotly-debated topics such as the treatment of minorities. Donald Quataert, a distinguished Ottoman scholar, has written a lively, authoritative and accessible narrative. The text is supported by maps, illustrations and genealogical and chronological tables, which will be of enormous value to students and non-specialists alike.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Donald Quataert's books and articles have become indispensable for those specializing in the modern history of the Ottoman world.... [this book] is a useful instrument for understanding the historical evolution of an unsettled part of the European world, as well as of the Islamic world." H-Net: Humanities and Social Services Online

Book Description

This is a major new survey history of the Ottoman Empire, 1700-1922. Donald Quataert, a distinguished Ottoman scholar, has written a lively, authoritative and accessible textbook, supported by maps, illustrations and a chronology, which will be of enormous value to students and non-specialists alike.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (July 31, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521633605
• ISBN-13: 978-0521633604
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #499,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction into the Ottoman History, April 6, 2001

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dndnd (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ottoman Empire, 1700-1922 (New Approaches to European History) (Paperback)

This book is one of the best if not the best as an introduction into the Ottoman history. Although the period Prof. Quataert focuses is from the 18th till the first quarter of the 20th century, the first three chapters are created as an introduction to the Ottoman Empire until 1700. Overall the book is very strong in historical analysis on an introductory level. At the end of each chapter Prof. Quataert offers a list of related readings, which makes this book a great resource for advanced students of Ottoman history as well.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Introduction to Topic, May 8, 2004

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C. Baker "cbaker" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ottoman Empire, 1700-1922 (New Approaches to European History) (Paperback)

Quartert provides a broad sociological history of the modern Ottoman empire. For someone who knows very little about the Ottoman empire it provided a good flavor of the cultural and socio-economic make-up of the Ottomans. While the book is academic it is very well written, organized, and very assessable to the general reader.

The one drawback to this monograph, and this is not a criticism given that this was not the intent of the book, I did not come away with a very clear picture of the political history of the empire. Of course generalizations about politics, how the state was run, and its relationships toward European powers are covered - but if you are looking for a detailed political history of the empire this not the book to pick up.

Also, while there is a very short chapter on the legacy of the Ottoman empire at the end, it left me wanting much more. Especially since the Balkans and much of the modern day states that made up the Ottoman empire are today the flash point for ethnic and religious violence, from the former Yugoslavia, Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Iraq.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good overview of the late Ottoman empire, October 19, 2008

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A. Berke "chemist" (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ottoman Empire, 1700-1922 (New Approaches to European History) (Paperback)

While I was grateful that this book did not follow a dry "date, place, event" format and in general was well written, I feel like I got less than I expected from it. I thought some of the earlier chapters were too brief, especially the chapter on the empire from 1683-1798. I also found several instances where topics were repeated (almost in their entirety) in two different chapters. For example the discussion of the Tulip Period and the influence of coffee houses and bathhouses both appeared twice, in about the same amount of detail. I thought the obvious repetition was unnecessary.

Other parts of the book were quite good. The author's model of starting what other historians have said on both sides of the issue at hand, and then working to look at the issue not through other historians eyes, instead through a "first principles" approach, I thought was beneficial to my understanding and appreciation of the Ottomans and the time period. I also enjoyed the chapter on inter-communal relations as I thought that the author was very careful to imbue appropriate context (regional, economic, religious, etc.) and look at the state of relations between the three religions in a way that did not seem like he had an agenda, rather a quest for the true state of the empire's people at the time. I was interested to learn about the different interactions between groups in the Ottoman empire, as opposed to what I'd already learned about the interactions of those same groups in say, late Moorish Spain. To watch how a nominally declining state (considering that the Ottomans ceased to exist after WWI) adjusted its laws and policies was fascinating.

I found this book at a used book store, and now having read it, was glad that I purchased it. This niche book is not for everyone, but there is a lot to learn about the state of the Ottoman empire during its last years (militarily, economically, socially) in it.