alphadesigner's reviews
100 reviews

An easy-to-read and, at the same time, informative biography of one of the most important Ottoman rulers with a lot of details about Ottoman culture, art, and politics.

The character list at the beginning of each chapter of this book suggests a theatrical approach, even if it's meant to be ironic. The world, after all, is a play, and we all have a part, especially those among us who happen to be emperors. No matter who's directing it, the actors or the public, history has always been a treasure trove for engaging drama, even if some of the main characters happen to complain of boredom. But as far as engaging storytelling goes, the author manages to transcend theater because at times, especially in the beginning and the end, his narration turns cinematic, frantically skipping from location to location, adding cutouts full of ricocheting bullets, eye twitches, and hair flicks. And he manages to do all this without turning this book into a novel, which is downright amazing. It's definitely one of the most well-written historical books I've read.

This book can be best described as narrative encyclopedia. The way it switches from subject to subject (music, philosophy, homeopathy, economics, quantum mechanics...) may trigger occasional mental hiccups, especially for readers who have an eye for detail and expect to retain a lot of information. But here the trick is to let go of the detail and instead enjoy the narration itself. The author begins by emphasizing the complexity of German culture contrasting it to the unfortunate habit of the Anglo-Saxon readers to pigeonhole it into the narrow confines of Nazi philosophy. The intellectual foundation of modern Germany is way richer and much more interesting than the lunatic ramblings of an Austrian painter who ended up usurping the coveted title of "Führer" with the help of people who were desperately trying to come to terms with their place in the world. Intellectuals, of course, especially modern ones, have a predisposition for complexity and pessimism. Viewed from their point of view, history is often defined by its horrors. This book manages to overcome this shallow habit and dedicate as much attention to positive side of German history. Say what you will about the past, modern "Germany has moved on, with a vengeance," says the author. Whoever doesn't agree should probably consult a therapist.

I love the author. But this thing is barely readable. It's like trying to decipher a medieval manuscript devoid of basic punctuation. It may be an interesting experiment for people who love to complicate their lives.

Few people can explore human nature in such a rich detail without yielding to cynicism or the temptations of moral judgement. Márquez is a modern author, embracing human contradictions with the passion of a nihilist, yet he somehow manages to keep his life-affirming idealism and empathy intact. The result of this mix is mind-blowing.

In my ideal utopian world everyone is interested in history and this book is on everybody's favorite list. In our less ideal world, this book can still be read by anyone and, for the intellectual snob trapped in all of us, there is at least one brilliant and easily quotable insight per page. I'm not sure the author had Twitter in mind when he wrote this book (it's actually a series of lectures from the 1960s) but his concise witticisms look deliberately crafted for our Soundbite Age. Just for the record, this is a compliment. A humongous one.

This book is less about history itself and more about historical analysis. Too often the analysis begins simultaneously with the narration of the events and even overtakes it. Readers who don't specialize on the subject will find it difficult to follow the meandering thoughts of the author. Mary Beard is much better and far more charming when she's on screen. In her documentaries, her ability to dig out relatable parallels between Roman and modern history seems endless and profoundly inspiring. But for whatever reason, here she seems to have adopted the role of an erudite but detached teacher, with all its typical cliches like the expression "We shall now look at..."

As a series of lectures, this book is undeniably valuable. It packs an impressive amount of knowledge, but the dryness makes its assimilation problematic. Fortunately, as the chapters progress from the Republican to the Imperial period, the overly analytic approach is toned down, although the balance is never fully restored and the structure remains confusing.

As a collection of research papers, this is hardly a coherent book and therefore it's difficult to be described as a whole. The first three chapters deal with relatively niche topics, often failing to meet the expectations set by the authors themselves. The last two chapters however, written by Ali Çaksu and Alan Mikhail, offer a fascinating description of Ottoman coffee houses and their culture.