«Fruitful reflections on the enduring cultural legacy of the Ottomans, how their empire ended and what was lost when it did ... brings a welcome human lens to the story of the empire's disintegration.»

Vanessa H. Larson, Washington Post

«In his impressive centenary history, Ryan Gingeras recounts not just the death throes of the old realm but the painful emergence of Turkey as a nation state ... It is a complicated story that still reverberates under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Gingeras narrates it with lucid authority.»

Michael Prodger, New Statesman

«Dispassionate and well-researched ... Gingeras sets out the twisting, turning story of decline through the later part of the 19th century.»

Peter Frankopan, Financial Times

«This epic account of Ottoman decline and the birth of modern Turkey is a tour de force of accessible scholarship.»

Fara Dabhoiwala, The Guardian

«Gingeras takes an even-handed approach to each issue, while never making light of the horrendous tally of human suffering that emerges on every side. Turks have long been treated to an over-simplified account of their modern history. This book teaches the beginning of wisdom, which is that most human history, as it actually happened, was a terrible, bewildering mess.»

Noel Malcolm, The Telegraph