The Turks in World History (Paperback)

~ Carter Vaughn Findley (Author) "The origins of the Turkic peoples are not well documented..." (more)
Key Phrases: title kaghan, steppe world, golden lineage, Central Asia, Inner Asia, Ottoman Empire (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An ambitious and timely book.... One has to admire his ability to make accessible long-range and deeply complex developments."--Matthew Gordon, Journal of World History
"An original and masterful synthesis of the complex six-thousand year history of the tribes, clans, and empires that produced the dozens of peoples generally known as Turks or TurkicAny tribute to Findley, already at the pinnacle of Turkish and Ottoman studies, is fully deserved."--Kemal Karpat, The Historian
"Findley's book ahs many merits, and he has written a considered and balanced, as well as a readable, survey, which should help to bring the disparate fields of 'Turkic'/Turkish/Ottoman history to the attention of a non-specialist audience."--The International History Review
"A timely, rich, and accessible work. A welcome addition to the field of world history." --Africa and the Middle East
"Findley's study is to be admired for its attempt to place the history of the Turks within the larger context of world history and its wide-ranging discussion of the impact of modernity." --Middle East Journal
"Carter Vaughn Findley's book is one of the most noteworthy achievements in recent years and a very welcome and needed contribution to Turkish and Turkic studies. The story of the "Turks," from their pre-Islamic, nomadic times to their glorious and powerful Islamic empires, and to their encounter with Western ideas and ideals, is masterfully presented in a single and accessible volume accompanied by specially generated maps and pictures."--American Historical Review
"...makes an important contribution to the study of world history as well as to its immediate topic, the history of the various Turks over the past 1,500 years."--D.M. Fahey, Miami University
"Cater Vaughn Findley's history of the Turkish people certainly has original, learned aspects, and although it is not consistently supported by primary texts, it is certainly worth other scholars' deep attention.... Findley's done quite a fine job."--Journal of the Society of American Studies
"...a timely, rich, and accessible work that examines the spatial and temporal shifts in Turkic peoples'identity formation and the trajectory from steppe, to empire, to nation-state."--History
"This is a much-needed, welcome and highly readable introduction to the Turkic world and its complex evolution. Findley's book, based on the most recent scholarship, has the added advantage of being set in a global context, connecting the important stages in the history of the Turkic peoples with larger, world-historical processes."--Peter B. Golden, author of An Introduction to the History of the Turkic Peoples
"The Turks in World History offers a masterful overview and interpretation of the entire Turkish historical experience. Throughout, Findley skillfully interweaves heritages from early nomadic life with complex subsequent encounters with settled farmers and urban societies, down to and including the recent Turkish diaspora into western Europe and overseas."-William H. McNeill, co-author of The Human Web: A Bird's-Eye View of World History

Product Description

Beginning in Inner Asia two thousand years ago, the Turks have migrated and expanded to form today's Turkish Republic, five post-Soviet republics, other societies across Eurasia, and a global diaspora. For the first time in a single, accessible volume, this book traces the Turkic peoples' trajectory from steppe, to empire, to nation-state. Cultural, economic, social, and political history unite in these pages to illuminate the projection of Turkic identity across space and time and the profound transformations marked successively by the Turks' entry into Islam and into modernity.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (November 11, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195177266
• ISBN-13: 978-0195177268
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #323,566 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Turks: Brief Panoramic Work, January 7, 2005

By	César González Rouco (Madrid, Madrid Spain) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This is a masterful work that can be savoured by the professional historian and educated layperson alike. It questions other analysises based on the clash of civilizations or which take for granted that something went wrong, reminding us that failing to adapt to global modernity, or lashing out violently against its manifestations, is not peculiar to any civilization. To put it in a nutshell, Findley looks for continuities and distinctive designs in the history of the Turkic peoples, considering the pre-islamic Turks and their precursors, the entry of the Turks (and the Monguls) into the Islamic world, the great age of indigenous Asian empire building; and finally the modern period. All that in 237 pages divided in the following chapters: One: The pre-islamic Turks and their Precursors; Two: Islam and Empire from the Seljuks through the Mongols; Three: Islamic Empires from Temür to the "Gunpowder Era"; Four: The Turks in the Modern world: Reform and Imperialism; Five: The Turks and Modernity: Republican and Communist; Conclusion: The Turkic Caravan in Retrospect.

Besides, the book is not a difficult reading (content: 5 starts; pleasure of reading: 4 to 3).

Other books I would recommend to read are the following: Donald Quataert, "The Ottoman Empire, 1700-1922", and Robert Mantran (ed), "Histoire de l'Empire ottoman".

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing History, Excellent Author., July 24, 2005

By	Serpil (Florida) - See all my reviews

This is a truly remarkable book. Findley offers a well-written introduction to the entire history of Turks and Turkic peoples to the non-specialist reader in this very interesting work. The book is composed of an introduction, five main parts and a conclusion. It takes the history of Turks from the very beginning (the appearance of Xiongnu in the Central Asian steppes) and brings it up to the recent electoral victory of AKP (Justice and Development Party) in Turkey. I found the book especially strong on its chapters about Turks' conversion to Islam and after. On top of all the remarkable scholarly qualities of the book, Findley is a very good writer and he carefully explains every point, which may be difficult or unknown to the lay reader. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Brief Encyclopedia of Turkic Peoples, February 24, 2006

By	NA Reader "NA reader" (Canada) - See all my reviews

It is a good and brief source of information, sometimes, quite detailed about the history of turkic-speaking people from the ancient to modern time. The author managed to put in 230 pages of the text the mainstream of the development of turkic tribes, peoples and states. The book is objective and well reference-based.