Customer Reviews

A Traveller's History of Turkey (Traveller's History Series)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Old too soon...I bought this book too late. After returning from three weeks in Turkey with at least an appreciation for 5000 years of history, I found Stoneman's handy book, but not in time to conceal my sad lack of knowledge from fellow travellers. This book is no turkey

(Note: This book has gone thru several editions, 2006 being the most recent. Thus, only one of the previous seven Amazon reviews --- the 2008 one [all the others are from the 1990s] --- is really pertinent for anyone currently considering a purchase).

The first year mentioned in the book is 500,000BC. The last is 2005AD. That's a lot of time to cover in only 247 pages (including indices). Hence, some of it is about as interesting as a biblical begat: "Anitta of Kussara founded the Hittite kingdom, destroying Hattus and tranfering his capital to Kanesh, which now became known as Nesha.... Laberna moved the capital back to Hattus --- now to be called Hattuse or Hattusas --- and took the name Hattusili" and so on.

There's specific mention in the text of practically all 37 of the Ottoman sultans, including (but not limited to) 4 Mustafas; 6 Mehmets; 5 Murats; Bayezit the Thunderbolt; Ibraheim the Mad; and, of course, Suleyman the Magnificent. An 9-page appendix provides the names, dates, and dynasties of almost 200 rulers of all or parts of what is now Turkey from the early 18th century BC onward (but not including the Persians and the Romans, although several of them do show up in the text). Another appendix (8 pages) is a chronology of major events from 8000BC until the above-referenced 2005 (the event that year being currency reform). Yet another appendix (again 9 pages)is an historical gazetteer beginning with Aezani (the site of the best preserved Roman temple) and ending with Zongudak (the Anatolian equivalent of Port Talbot).

Truly mind-boggling. Also dry as a desert.

One curiosity deserving comment is the noticeable revision of several pages of the text where the type and the space between lines have obviously been altered. Pages 165 and 183 are very obvious (and a couple of others are suspicious). Since the subject matter on 165 is the Armenian genocide and on 183 an introduction to Turkey since 1939 the changes are perhaps for political purposes. It would be interesting to see the pre-alteration texts. Maybe they are what so riled a couple of the book's reviewers from the 90s decade.

In any case, if you want to become a scholar of Turkey, this book is probably a good first step toward your goal. On the other hand, if you're just an ordinary tourist/traveler, the history chapters should suffice in Steves or Cadogan or Lonely Planet or whatever other guidebook you choose.

Bon voyage.

Like a previous reviewer, I was put off by the concentration on ancient history with almost no modern history.

Having said that, the ancient history IS fascinating and I am very hald I read the book.

To the two turkish reviewers: when your country finally admits that it massacred the Greeks at Smyrna and the Armenians at every opportunity, then people will begin to forget, but as long as you insist that these things didn't happen people will assume that that is still the way it is in Turkey.

There's too much - more than 60% of the book - devoted to the pre-Ottoman period. There's too much emphasis on ancient Turkey. To understand modern Turkey, it is essential to understand the Ottoman and the Attaturk legacies. Only about 30 pages are devoted to the Attaturk and post-Attaturk period. It is just not possible to understand the role of Islam, the military, the position of women, etc., in modern Turkey, without in-depth reference to the impact of the Ottomans and Attaturk to attitudes and values in the country.

A quick and effective overview of Turkish history from prehistory to the present.

This book is just another silly tourist's book by just another ignorant tourist. Not worthy of real travelers!

Read Mary Lee Settle's "Turkish Reflections" to get a good introduction to Turkey. It is becoming a bit dated but is still much better than silly books like this.

ln the book Mr.Stoneman is claiming that Turkish army massacared 10000 kurds.And also about the greek invasion, he says turks killed and raped the greek and armenian inhabitants of izmir. The information he is providing is sided.lf we are talking about the history, the author has to have evidences and written records about the events he is reporting.lf he is just writting the stories he heard from the others it can not be accepted "true" immediately.lt seems that he did not make any research about the past at all, but he wrote the things just like he wanted. People can not change the past.Mr. Stoneman should be more responsible and correct the wrong information in his book.Or he has to rename his book:"A fictive story of turkey to the sided people who likes to believe that all turks are bad" Finally, general sound of the book is blaming turks on every issue.lt is %100 wrong that Turks did all the bad things.One should make researches and listen to both sides before coming to a conclusion.lf there is no written records, those events should not be mentioned in the serious! history books.Although he has the names of some books listed at the end of the book he is not refering to the certain pages of the books for his conclusions. All because of these the book is not professional at all.

This book is not optimistic