Sultans, The: The Rise and Fall of the Ottoman Rulers and Their World: A 600-Year History

- Blurb -

A history of 600 years - an epic story of a dynasty that started as a small group of cavalry mercenaries to become the absolute rulers of the greatest and longest lasting Islamic empire in history.Focusing on the lives and achievements of the Sultans themselves, this history mixes court intrigue, wars and plotting which sometimes make Game of Thrones look tame. Jem Duducu charts the rise and fall of the dynasty, from the forgotten Sultan Murad IV who led soldiers into battle, captured Baghdad and banned alcohol, but died young from over-drinking, to the more famous rulers such as Suleiman the Magnificent. The account includes world-changing events such as the fall of Constantinople. It describes the string trade alliances the empire had with Elizabeth I, and demystifies the Sultan's harem. In modern times it traces the outbreak of war in 1914 as the Ottoman hold on power fractured, and the bloody fighting with Alied troops on the shores at Gallipoli. It will also explains how the Republic of Turkey is not the same thing as the Ottoman Empire, but remains in its historical shadow, as part of an Islamic world torn by religious conflict and power struggles.