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From the Ottoman Empire to today’s authoritarian regime—discover the story of a nation caught between Islamic traditions and pressures to westernize
Through more than nine centuries of shifting borders, environmental change, and political evolution, Turkey has been a cultural melting pot and a nation-state bent on ethnic unity. It has seen conquest and reform, appeals to tradition and calls to modernize. It has been a home to Christians, Jews, Muslims, and more, and it has aggressively pursued both secularization and Islamization.
Built on the foundations of the Ottoman Empire—the most enduring, and perhaps the most important, Islamic empire in history—Turkey’s long, complex history is beset by political and religious turmoil. But the country’s national story also illuminates a rich culture developed over thousands of years, reflecting culinary diversity, artisan craftsmanship, and architectural achievement.
In this concise yet nuanced overview, historian Benjamin Fortna examines Turkey’s complex trajectory from ancient Byzantine civilization to modern republic, through to the present-day leadership by the populist, authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In just 250 pages, Fortna reveals how opposing visions of Turkey have shaped its national identity and its people—and its place in contemporary history.
The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read.
“[An] astute combination of the entertaining and informed. . . . What comes across most significantly is what a multicultural melting pot Turkey has been and still is.”—The Age
“Historian Benjamin C. Fortna delivers a compact yet richly informative account of a nation straddling East and West, tradition and modernity. This book achieves an impressive feat: distilling over two millennia of Turkish history into a narrative that is accessible, nuanced and deeply engaging.”—Good Reading Magazine
