I have become fascinated with the Ottomans, Roxelana and Suleiman after watching "The Magnificent Century" a Turkish series that is available through some streaming services. After beginning the series, I wanted to learn more about Roxelana and Suleiman and discover what is accurate and what is dramatic license in the show. That is where Ms. Peirce's book comes into play. When I saw this book pop up I just knew I had to have it. Ms. Peirce does the best job possible piecing together the few fragments that remain regarding who Roxelana was and what she had done while favorite and then wife of Suleiman. I found it very interesting and informative how Ms. Peirce would explain how Ottoman tradition handled concubines and then mother's of sons prior to Roxelana and then how she broke the mold and helped to create a new tradition for women. I learned a great deal from reading this book and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Ottomans, Roxelana and Suleiman.
Ms. Peirce has done a wonderful job but she, of course, has the same pitfalls of most authors who chose to write about women during this time period in that there just isn't a ton of information. Very little survives of Roxelana's own writings and no one bothered to write down for posterity her thoughts or beliefs. What we have are a small number of letters she wrote and some diplomatic correspondences from people who had their own agendas and biases. Many times Ms. Peirce is forced to make educated guesses or assumptions about Roxelana's motives or involvements in certain events because there isn't anything available from Roxelana's own writings. I walked away from the book sad because of how monumental this woman was for the Ottomans and for their traditions and cultures and yet so very little is known or written about her. If I hadn't watched "The Magnificent Century" I am not sure I ever would've known she even existed. It's hard not to walk away from the book a little melancholy for all the lost history.
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Empress of the East: How a European Slave Girl Became Queen of the Ottoman Empire Hardcover – September 19, 2017
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Leslie Peirce
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Print length368 pages
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LanguageEnglish
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PublisherBasic Books
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Publication dateSeptember 19, 2017
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Dimensions6.75 x 1.85 x 9.5 inches
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ISBN-100465032516
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ISBN-13978-0465032518
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Editorial Reviews
Review
A New York Times Books Review Editors' Choice pick
"The fascinating story of one remarkable harem slave, who broke through [the] rocky ceiling, claiming unprecedented authority for women and forever changing the nature of the Ottoman government...This lively book resurrects Roxelana."―The New York Times Book Review
"Engaging...Peirce persuasively recasts Roxelana as a pragmatist adept at navigating both palace politics and international relations, and as a pioneer who established a more powerful role for Ottoman women."―The New Yorker
"Peirce chronicles the remarkable life and times of Roxelana, the Eastern European slave girl who reshaped her own destiny after being kidnapped and inducted into the harem of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent...Wielding her power during a juncture in history distinguished by many strong female leaders, her exceptional accomplishments are especially noteworthy considering her humble origins and all that she overcame."
―Booklist
"Fascinating from beginning to end, Peirce's telling of Roxelana's story illuminates her remarkable life and the evolution of the long-lived empire that straddled two continents."
―Publishers Weekly
"Empress of the East seems to offer a glimpse of proto-feminist life in a land otherwise known as an oppressive one for women...Fascinating."―Bookforum
"Leslie Peirce, one of the world's foremost historians of the Ottoman empire, has created a brilliant, absorbing, and profoundly insightful account of one of the most enigmatically interesting figures of the sixteenth century: Roxelana, the captive slave who ultimately reigned alongside Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Peirce is rightly celebrated for her expertise on the fascinating subject of the Ottoman harem, and there is no one better qualified to help us understand how Roxelana emerged from the sultan's harem to become one of the most powerful political figures of her times. This is a book that should be read by anyone interested in understanding the deep history of Turkey, the Ottoman empire, and the Muslim Middle East."
―Larry Wolff, author of The Singing Turk
"A riveting story of power, patronage and harem politics in sixteenth century Istanbul. Roxelana, the slave who became a sultana, deserves to figure at least as prominently in the annals of women's history as her famous European contemporaries."
―Sarah Gristwood, author of Game of Queens
"Leslie Peirce is uniquely qualified to tell the story of one of the greatest royal love affairs in world history. In her earlier, ground-breaking book, Peirce demystified the Ottoman harem. In Empress of the East, she demonstrates the same careful attention to primary sources, refusing to romanticise what we cannot know. Reality is far more compelling. This page-turning narrative of an Ottoman sultan's passion draws us deeply into the household of a couple that broke all the rules. Peirce sets Süleyman and Roxelana's intimate lives within the context of the times, to show how the personal was inescapably political. Roxelana has at last found the biographer she deserves."
―Caroline Finkel, author of Osman's Dream
"A brilliant book that restores one of the most fascinating women in Islamic history to prominence. Leslie Pierce, the foremost authority on the Ottoman imperial harem, has done her subject justice in this exquisitely crafted biography."
―Eugene Rogan, author of The Fall of the Ottomans
"It takes solid scholarship to turn the potentially Orientalist tale of a young slave who became the wife of the most powerful sovereign of the sixteenth century into an accurate and well-documented historical narrative. It takes talent to give this narrative the lively twist that makes it such a good read. It takes Leslie Peirce's years of experience with the study of the daily life of Ottoman women, high and low, to bring to the foreground the life and destiny of a woman, however powerful and exceptional, in a world of men. Roxelana/Hürrem's story is a novel and rather unique way to discover or revisit one of the most fascinating episodes of Ottoman history."
―Edhem Eldem, Bogazici University, Istanbul
"From harem girl to Ottoman queen-Roxelana is one of the most fascinating women of the sixteenth-century. Leslie Peirce brings Roxelana to life as wife, mother, and sultana, and gives us a vivid picture of her Muslim world. A gripping and well-told tale!"
―Natalie Zemon Davis, author of Trickster Travels: A Sixteenth-Century Muslim Between Worlds
"The fascinating story of one remarkable harem slave, who broke through [the] rocky ceiling, claiming unprecedented authority for women and forever changing the nature of the Ottoman government...This lively book resurrects Roxelana."―The New York Times Book Review
"Engaging...Peirce persuasively recasts Roxelana as a pragmatist adept at navigating both palace politics and international relations, and as a pioneer who established a more powerful role for Ottoman women."―The New Yorker
"Peirce chronicles the remarkable life and times of Roxelana, the Eastern European slave girl who reshaped her own destiny after being kidnapped and inducted into the harem of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent...Wielding her power during a juncture in history distinguished by many strong female leaders, her exceptional accomplishments are especially noteworthy considering her humble origins and all that she overcame."
―Booklist
"Fascinating from beginning to end, Peirce's telling of Roxelana's story illuminates her remarkable life and the evolution of the long-lived empire that straddled two continents."
―Publishers Weekly
"Empress of the East seems to offer a glimpse of proto-feminist life in a land otherwise known as an oppressive one for women...Fascinating."―Bookforum
"Leslie Peirce, one of the world's foremost historians of the Ottoman empire, has created a brilliant, absorbing, and profoundly insightful account of one of the most enigmatically interesting figures of the sixteenth century: Roxelana, the captive slave who ultimately reigned alongside Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Peirce is rightly celebrated for her expertise on the fascinating subject of the Ottoman harem, and there is no one better qualified to help us understand how Roxelana emerged from the sultan's harem to become one of the most powerful political figures of her times. This is a book that should be read by anyone interested in understanding the deep history of Turkey, the Ottoman empire, and the Muslim Middle East."
―Larry Wolff, author of The Singing Turk
"A riveting story of power, patronage and harem politics in sixteenth century Istanbul. Roxelana, the slave who became a sultana, deserves to figure at least as prominently in the annals of women's history as her famous European contemporaries."
―Sarah Gristwood, author of Game of Queens
"Leslie Peirce is uniquely qualified to tell the story of one of the greatest royal love affairs in world history. In her earlier, ground-breaking book, Peirce demystified the Ottoman harem. In Empress of the East, she demonstrates the same careful attention to primary sources, refusing to romanticise what we cannot know. Reality is far more compelling. This page-turning narrative of an Ottoman sultan's passion draws us deeply into the household of a couple that broke all the rules. Peirce sets Süleyman and Roxelana's intimate lives within the context of the times, to show how the personal was inescapably political. Roxelana has at last found the biographer she deserves."
―Caroline Finkel, author of Osman's Dream
"A brilliant book that restores one of the most fascinating women in Islamic history to prominence. Leslie Pierce, the foremost authority on the Ottoman imperial harem, has done her subject justice in this exquisitely crafted biography."
―Eugene Rogan, author of The Fall of the Ottomans
"It takes solid scholarship to turn the potentially Orientalist tale of a young slave who became the wife of the most powerful sovereign of the sixteenth century into an accurate and well-documented historical narrative. It takes talent to give this narrative the lively twist that makes it such a good read. It takes Leslie Peirce's years of experience with the study of the daily life of Ottoman women, high and low, to bring to the foreground the life and destiny of a woman, however powerful and exceptional, in a world of men. Roxelana/Hürrem's story is a novel and rather unique way to discover or revisit one of the most fascinating episodes of Ottoman history."
―Edhem Eldem, Bogazici University, Istanbul
"From harem girl to Ottoman queen-Roxelana is one of the most fascinating women of the sixteenth-century. Leslie Peirce brings Roxelana to life as wife, mother, and sultana, and gives us a vivid picture of her Muslim world. A gripping and well-told tale!"
―Natalie Zemon Davis, author of Trickster Travels: A Sixteenth-Century Muslim Between Worlds
About the Author
Leslie Peirce is Silver Professor of History, Middle Eastern, and Islamic Studies at New York University. The award-winning author of two previous books, Peirce lives in New York City.
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Product details
- Publisher : Basic Books; 1st Edition (September 19, 2017)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 368 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0465032516
- ISBN-13 : 978-0465032518
- Item Weight : 1.2 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.75 x 1.85 x 9.5 inches
-
Best Sellers Rank:
#351,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #170 in Turkey History (Books)
- #228 in Slavery & Emancipation History
- #308 in Historical Middle East Biographies
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
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115 global ratings
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Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2017
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57 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2018
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This is an incredible story of a famous Ottoman royal written by the brilliant historian Leslie Peirce! It’s a story of how one woman can change everything, can change an empire! Roxelana was a 16th century slave who rose through the ranks to become the legal wife of the greatest Ottoman Sultan that ever lived— Suleiman the Magnificent. His reign was the “Golden Age” of the empire.
I don’t see many mainstream books about the Ottoman Empire and often they are horribly erroneous or disappointing! Ottoman history is complicated and it’s pivotal that historians use the right sources and records. Using the letters and journals of Europeans is not a realistic depiction of the Ottomans, and its important that historians use actual Ottoman records and use the books and materials of Turkish historians who have access to these records. Peirce is a stellar historian and writer who has done her research responsibly and really does the Ottomans justice. I have also read her previous book The Imperial Harem, which was also excellent! She has conducted her research of Ottoman history meticulously, using sources that get us closest to the records of what really happened. It’s shocking how some writers have taken ridiculous liberties with the Ottoman past to conjure up a history that has nothing to do with the real thing!
Roxelana was one of the most powerful women in the Ottoman Empire and broke the glass ceiling for royal women there at the time. Her story is an inspiring look at how one woman can bring so much influence and change to a leader and an empire, even if given no official role or title! Suleiman repeatedly came to her for counsel. She acted as a diplomat with foreign powers through her letters and was beneficent in her good work and philanthropy, especially for the city of Istanbul. She endowed mosques, schools, soup kitchens, Sufi lodges and hospitals. At one point she even sold her own gold, pearls and jewels to pay for Janissary (Ottoman soldier’s) boots and a hike in their pay. Her work surpassed that of any previous Ottoman woman in volume and geographic reach.
The Ottoman dynasty ruled a large part of Europe for six centuries and its royals were basically European Muslims, though most people in the US know little about them. Traditionally Ottoman Sultans did not marry and could have hundreds of consorts and concubines. They were acquired female slaves, usually from Christian populations, who were chosen for beauty, health and strength. These slaves were housed in closed apartments overseen by a complex organization of women and black eunuchs, which was the harem. However Suleiman didn’t follow any of these rules-- he chose to be monogamous to one woman, Roxelana. He defied tradition when he married her!
I was so happy that the The New York Times Book Review featured this book and gave it a positive review! I loved it and hope more people who are interested in history will learn about the great and influential women of the Ottoman Empire.
I don’t see many mainstream books about the Ottoman Empire and often they are horribly erroneous or disappointing! Ottoman history is complicated and it’s pivotal that historians use the right sources and records. Using the letters and journals of Europeans is not a realistic depiction of the Ottomans, and its important that historians use actual Ottoman records and use the books and materials of Turkish historians who have access to these records. Peirce is a stellar historian and writer who has done her research responsibly and really does the Ottomans justice. I have also read her previous book The Imperial Harem, which was also excellent! She has conducted her research of Ottoman history meticulously, using sources that get us closest to the records of what really happened. It’s shocking how some writers have taken ridiculous liberties with the Ottoman past to conjure up a history that has nothing to do with the real thing!
Roxelana was one of the most powerful women in the Ottoman Empire and broke the glass ceiling for royal women there at the time. Her story is an inspiring look at how one woman can bring so much influence and change to a leader and an empire, even if given no official role or title! Suleiman repeatedly came to her for counsel. She acted as a diplomat with foreign powers through her letters and was beneficent in her good work and philanthropy, especially for the city of Istanbul. She endowed mosques, schools, soup kitchens, Sufi lodges and hospitals. At one point she even sold her own gold, pearls and jewels to pay for Janissary (Ottoman soldier’s) boots and a hike in their pay. Her work surpassed that of any previous Ottoman woman in volume and geographic reach.
The Ottoman dynasty ruled a large part of Europe for six centuries and its royals were basically European Muslims, though most people in the US know little about them. Traditionally Ottoman Sultans did not marry and could have hundreds of consorts and concubines. They were acquired female slaves, usually from Christian populations, who were chosen for beauty, health and strength. These slaves were housed in closed apartments overseen by a complex organization of women and black eunuchs, which was the harem. However Suleiman didn’t follow any of these rules-- he chose to be monogamous to one woman, Roxelana. He defied tradition when he married her!
I was so happy that the The New York Times Book Review featured this book and gave it a positive review! I loved it and hope more people who are interested in history will learn about the great and influential women of the Ottoman Empire.
15 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2018
Verified Purchase
I have long awaited a bio of the love affair between Hurrem (Roxelana) and Suleyman the Magnificent, one of the enduring love stories of all time. Historian Leslie Peirce brings to vivid life a highly readable, well researched heroic story of this remarkable 16th Century slave woman who through pluck, intelligence and perseverance captured the love of the greatest sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Going against the customs of the time, Suleyman made Hurrem his wife, considered quite a scandal amongst his subjects.
From Dr. Peirce’s previous book, “The Imperial Harem”, I knew a little of Hurrem’s story, but here, she fleshes out her subject revealing previously unknown details that shed light on her captivating personality. It takes a skilled sleuth and interpreter of the relatively scant record to paint such a vivid portrait of this lady. Hurrem was by all appearances a loving mother of her 5 sons and 1 daughter, a queen who cared deeply for her subjects as evidenced by her many documented good deeds and a loving wife as expounded in her few surviving letters to Suleyman. I was intrigued from the very first page!
I can only hope that Dr. Peirce with her expertise in Ottoman history and women’s issues will write in depth about other Ottoman ladies of the harem, a much-neglected subject.
From Dr. Peirce’s previous book, “The Imperial Harem”, I knew a little of Hurrem’s story, but here, she fleshes out her subject revealing previously unknown details that shed light on her captivating personality. It takes a skilled sleuth and interpreter of the relatively scant record to paint such a vivid portrait of this lady. Hurrem was by all appearances a loving mother of her 5 sons and 1 daughter, a queen who cared deeply for her subjects as evidenced by her many documented good deeds and a loving wife as expounded in her few surviving letters to Suleyman. I was intrigued from the very first page!
I can only hope that Dr. Peirce with her expertise in Ottoman history and women’s issues will write in depth about other Ottoman ladies of the harem, a much-neglected subject.
17 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries
dhriti baruah
1.0 out of 5 stars
Boring
Reviewed in India on June 5, 2019Verified Purchase
It was like a boring list of historical data
Roisin mc Bride
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
Reviewed in Canada on August 30, 2018Verified Purchase
Great book I couldn’t put it down
peter johns
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dry well written
Reviewed in Canada on December 31, 2020Verified Purchase
I love everything about this book.
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