A summer reading list of Ottoman history in English

The Ottoman Empire, which was populated by more than 30 million in habitants and reigned from the 1300s to 1914 and World War I and existed on three continents in a geographical area spanning from the borders of Hungary to the North African coast, was an era of epic proportions and thus it should come as no surprise that the details of the history itself is full of countless tales of power plays, battles intrigue, conspiracies, deceptions and revenge, which ultimately leads to great reading material.

Last month Turkey lost one of its top aficionados on the Ottoman Empire at the fitting age of 100. A preeminent scholar by the name of Halil İnalcık and Turkey's foremost export on all things Ottoman, who also spent over a decade lecturing on the subject at the University of Chicago, is also a skilled and entertaining writer who penned one of the most comprehensive books on Ottoman History, in addition to writing and editing multiple others. In ode to his body of work and life profession devoted to this epic empire, the following is the ultimate summer syllabus of history books in English on the Ottoman Empire in order to get a better schooling on this intriguing era and the area we now call home:

'The Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age 1300-1600'

From Eunuchs to caged would-be sultans, "The Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age 1300-1600," which was first published in 1973, shares the intricate details of how this empire emerged from a militant principality to become the world's most powerful Islamic state. His approachable style and the vast knowledge he shares on the traditions of the era, from religion to warfare, administration, social values, financial and land policies offers great insight into the first three centuries of Ottoman rule.

An Economic and Social History of the Ottoman Empire released in 1994, this two-volume series edited by Halil İnalcık is divided into four chronicle sections each written by a leading authority that delves into the social and economic history of the Ottoman Empire and İnalcık takes on the bulk of Part I to explain the monetary history of the time period spanning from the 1300s to the 1600s. This is the most accessible of İnalcık's body of edited work that also includes "Turkey and Europe in History" and the "History of Humanity," part of UNESCO's General and Regional Histories Collection.

'Discovering the Ottomans'



İlber Ortaylı is another leading Turkish historian and a prolific writer of approachable history books on the subject. This 2010 release is an excellent introduction to the history, lifestyles and values of the Ottoman Empire.

'Private and Royal Life in the Ottoman Palace'



In this 2013 release, Ortaylı shares his inner knowledge of the Topkapi Palace and its inner goings on as he himself served as director of the Topkapı Palace Museum for years.

'A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire'



Penned by M. Şükrü Hanioğlu, a Turkish professor of late Ottoman history at Princeton University, this book presents a concise history of the final era of this epic empire and discusses the trends that contributed to its downfall.

"The Ottoman Centuries: The Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire" veering from Turkish scholars, this substantial body of work on the history of the Ottoman Empire was penned in 1977 by Lord Kinross, a Scottish historian noted for his biography of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his authority on Islamic history. Providing as good a read as a definitive history of the era that happens to be dense with intrigue: economic, political and social.

'Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire'



Penned by a British historian based in Turkey, this is a more general reader-friendly account of the epic story of the Ottoman Empire from start to finish by someone who is extremely familiar with the subject. An entertaining and informative read, "Osman's Dream" is also more regularly available in reputable bookstores in Turkey.

'The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire'

Released in 1993 by the Oxford University Press and written by Leslie P. Pierce, a history professor at New York University, this informative and captivating account deals less with the romantic goings on in the harem and more with the power plays in place amongst the sultans, eunuchs, concubines, wives and Queen mothers.

'Inside the Seraglio: Private Lives of the Sultans in Istanbul'

Penned in 2001 by an American physicist and teacher who has become an aficionado on history, travel and the Ottoman Empire, John Freely offers an entertaining account of the inner workings of the imperial "House of Felicity" equipped with witty tales of conceit, deceit, love and murder and the private lives of the characters that composed it, told by the perspective of the sultans that reigned. Freely is also the author of "The Grand Turk," which unravels the life of Fatih The Conqueror.

'Harem: The World Behind the Veil'

More of a coffee table type book than its predecessors, Alev Lytle Croutier, one of Turkey's most widely published female novelists of Turkish origin whose works have been translated into 23 different languages, offers a romantic and Orientalist view of the inner working of the Harem, but this time from the perspective of the women that ruled it. Lavishly illustrated with photographs, paintings and miniatures, this is an entertaining read with lots of visual imagery on the harem.

'Suleiman the Magnificent'

French historian and journalist Andre Clot, who lived in Turkey for many years and was an expert on Islam, also delved into uncovering the life of Suleiman the Magnificent and his influence on the Ottoman Empire in this 1989 rendition.

'Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire'

English writer and historian Jason Goodwin released this book after walking from Poland to Istanbul and penning "On Foot to the Golden Horn" about his experience. One of the most popular accounts of the 600 years of rule of the Ottoman Empire, Goodwin also went on to become the author of a series of historical mystery novels beginning with The Janissary Tree that follows the life of an Ottoman investigator and eunuch named Yashim. This fictional account won the Edgar Award for best novel in 2007 and has been translated into over 40 languages. The series continues with "The Snake Stone," "The Bellini Card" and "An Evil Eye," which centers on the Ottoman sultan's harem, and "The Baklava Club," which follows Italian and Polish revolutionaries in Istanbul.

Last, but certainly not least is the Kamil Pasha series, three historical murder mysteries written by novelist and social anthropologist Jenny White, set in 1800's Istanbul and the Ottoman court. "The Sultan's Seal," "The Abyssinian Proof," "The Winter Thief," published in 2006, 2008 and 2010 respectively, are historical murder mysteries, which follow Special Prosecutor Magistrate for Beyoğlu Kamil Pasha's investigations into crimes involving foreigners and others characters in the heart of the Ottoman Empire. "The Sultan's Seal" follows the murder of an English governess in the imperial harem. In "The Abyssinian Proof," Kamil Pasha investigates a hidden sect living in a cistern in Istanbul, while in "The Winter Thief," an explosion in an Ottoman bank leading to Kamil Pasha saving the a massacre of a commune and villages in the eastern mountains.