فرمانروایان شاخ زرین از سلیمان قانونی تا آتاتورک

by Noel Barber, عبدالرضا هوشنگ مهدوی (Translator)

فرمانروایان شاخ زرین پاسخی است به این کنجکاوی و سرگذشت سلاطین عثمانی در پنج قرن گذشته، در این میان، نوئل باربر، نویسنده ی کتاب، ضمن برشمردن حوادث و جریانات تاریخی، ما را با دنیای افسانه مانند زندگی سلاطین و اوضاع اجتماعی سیاسی آن روزگار آشنا می کند.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Middle East, Audiobook, Biography, Islam, 17th Century

312 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 1973

About the author

Noel Barber was a British novelist and journalist. Many of his novels, set in exotic countries, are about his experiences as leading foreign correspondent for the Daily Mail. He was the son of John Barber and his Danish wife, Musse, and had two brothers: Kenneth, a banker, and Anthony Barber, Baron Barber.
Most notably he reported from Morocco, where he was stabbed five times. In October 1956, Barber survived a gunshot wound to the head by a Soviet sentry in Hungary during the Hungarian revolution. A car crash ended his career as journalist. He then began writing novels: he became a best-selling novelist in his seventies with his first novel, Tanamera.

Reviews

[A. Sacit · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is awful..Far from objectivity or fairness. It presents the final 300 years - the decline years- of the Ottoman Empire as a one big freak show, with a jaundiced western prejudice reeking throughout. The rise and grandeur- the first 300 years of the Empire- is completely left out. Plenty of xenophobic remarks made about Kemal Ataturk, names are misspelled, etc. A more objective treatment of the subject can be found in more recent scholarly works by Finkel, Goodwin, Shaw and others.

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

شاید بهترین مطلب درباره کتاب همان کلمات آخرین کتاب است
دولت عثمانی جز خواب و خیالی بیش به نظر نمی رسد
...با آن همه عظمت، پیروزی، ستمگری، توطئه زنان حرم، بدبختی و محرومیت میلیون ها نفر اتباعش
.در حین خواندن کتاب انسان ازاین همه کشتار ارامنه و همچنین یونانی ها در ازمیر ، بسیار مبهوت می شود

[أشرف فقيه · Rating 3 out of 5]

ممتع ومفيد كسرد متسلسل وديناميكي لتاريخ السلاطين -والحريم السلطاني- من سليمان القانوني إلى إلغاء الخلافة. لكن لا يعتد به كمرجع محايد.
يعاني من هنات واضحة في سعيه لتقديم مروية فانتازية. فمع تركيزه على المذابح ضد البلغار والأرمن، لا يذكر الحملة على الدولة السعودية الأولى، ولا استعمار الجزائر، ولا الثورة العربية الكبرى ومآلاتها. يستفيض في تفاصيل حكم عبد الحميد الثاني -بدون أية إشارة للمسألة اليهودية- وحركات تركيا الفتاة والاتحاد والترقي حتى تمكّن أتاتورك وتأسيس الجمهورية التركية.

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

work mp3



Read By: Bill Mesnik
Copyright: 1973
Audiobook Copyright: 1984
Genre: History

Book Description Blurb
================
The Ottoman Empire was a tremendous influence on many of the things
we take for granted in the Western World, bringing with it strange concepts
such as hygiene and an appreciation of the finer things in life.

This book gives a well written and entertaining overview of the rulers
of this massive empire, from its earliest days to its eventual demise.
Along the way we meet many of its rulers and marvel at their cruelty
and compassion, great leadership and debauchery. Its a great story,
one never dreamt of in fiction, and one well worth reading.

"Once on the throne, Ibrahim proved to be the most detestable and debauched of the Ottoman sultans. A picture of him shows the bleary countenance of a drunkard, his turban tipped crazily to one side. From the moment of his accession he seemed to have one thought in his head - to make up for lost time. A man who regarded sex as a duty to be practised almost daily, his excesses were so much that even the harem murmured in protest, to say nothing of the government."

I read Ottoman (sent on to Laura and Misfit)a few months back and loved it to a 5 star result and this could be used as a cross reference to that fictional fun as a source of information regarding clothes, manners, hierarchy. I had thought the Roxalana affair was fictional but that woman did exist and cause such havoc. SO interesting.

I had no idea when starting The Lords of the Golden Horn that it would bring us up to date (well nearly!) and as such this history is all the more important to those who live in the EU, and Turkey's negotiation into the union. The Armenian question (again, an important contemporary issue) needs to be owned up to gracefully and with sincere regret. Anti-Turkishness legislation also needs to be addressed.

THE bit about Armenians is doubly disgusting where it is disclosed that papers from the Roman Catholic Inquisition times were the basis for the flair involved concerning torture methods. Hmmm - there has never been a genocide accusation against THAT particular outfit has there!

[Jonny Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As others have mentioned, this is by no means what could be called a broad (it does, for instance, get much more detailed when discussing the 19th century onwards - but this might be due more to a greater bevy of sources) nor is it possibly academically balanced account of the Ottoman Empire’s fall (at he very least, it tends to use the westernised names for Islamic/Ottoman terms) but it is a really engaging read that focuses on the more “pop history” elements of the fanciful and bizarre. Not a page goes by without you learning a new tidbit.

It is perhaps guilty of almost revelling in the maniacal insanity of a lot of the sultans, and is perhaps also somewhat “dark tourism” in that it does encourage a certain voyeurism to some grotesquely horrendous moments, but I found it fascinating and informative. Things like The Cage (you’ll have to read...or wiki...to learn how truly evil and myopic it was) and various Sultans’ madness really make it impossible to tell this story without touching on these horrendous moments (you almost become numb to the numbers killed or tortured in parts as the scale becomes hard to rationalise).

This review has sounded more negative than I wanted...I gave it a 5 star after all, so I will finish by saying this was highly bingeable, hugely enlightening, and will give you fodder to bore your friends and families with for a while!

[Richard Thompson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I learned a few things about Ottoman and Turkish history, but I choked on the relentless Orientalizing. This guy could be Exhibit A for everything that Edward Said talked about in his famous book "Orientalism". Mr. Barber's perspective is totally one of looking down his long nose from a Western European point of view, describing the Ottoman sultans, their viziers and everyone else in the Ottoman government and military as effeminate sexualized creatures who were bloodthirsty and treacherous, lovers of decadent luxury who sat idly by as their empire declined. Ugh. Probably much of the factual material is true, but the emphasis and point of view is horribly racist and condescending. The other ethnic groups of the Ottoman Empire - Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Arabs and Kurds don't come off any better than the Turks, with particular sneering at the "primitive" Kurds. I'd like to read a comprehensive and respectful history of the Ottomans. This was not the right book for me.

[Tucaoneo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author was no historian.

This can make a quick read/listen if you know nothing about the history of Turkey. But it's not a good source if you care about getting the facts right.

For example, Hurrem Sultan (the wife of Suleiman the Magnificent) was born in a place in the Kingdom of Poland, which nowadays is located in Ukraine. I suppose you could say she was Polish or Ukrainian. But the author maintained she was Russian. Why? Maybe because the book was written during the Cold War, and Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, and Soviet = Russian according to the author. That would be my guess.

In another example, the author claimed Nakşidil Sultan (the mother of Mahmud II) was the same person as Aimée du Buc de Rivéry, a French heiress who was lost at sea in her youth (and more importantly, was a distinct cousin of Empress Joséphine Bonaparte). This is widely believed to be an urban legend of the day, and no serious historian would back the claim. But the author just kept hammering this as a fact, and told a bunch of stories of Turkey-France connection just because the two powerful women were related.

In short, you may find it interesting or kind of exotic in the way it describes Constantinople and the extravagances surrounding the Sultans. But if you care about history, try more serious books like the Crimean War by Orlando Figes or The Fall of the Ottomans by Eugene Rogan.

[MaSuMeH · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتابی تاریخی در مورد 25 تن از شاهان عثمانی و آتا تورک.جالب بود تا جایی که هنوز دلم هوای دلمه باغچه را می کند.
در کل کتاب یک چرخه تکرار می شد زنان حرم-سوگلی ها-ملکه مادر-تلاش بر سلطه بر سلطان-از بین بردن دشمنان و دیگر شاهزاده ها-حکومت-مرگ و دوباره همین ماجرا برای پادشاه دیگر..یه چیزی ام که خیلی ناراحت کننده بود این که از زمانی به بعد پادشاهها ولیعهد ها را در قصرها به همراه کنیزکان زندانی می کردند تا علیه شان نشورند و بعد که پادشاه می مرد ولیعهدی به تخت می نشست که تا آن زمان زندگی برایش خواب و خوراک و زن بود.

[Anna C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Orientalist piffle. The author is only interested in opulence, sex, and extravagant cruelty. The cited sources are exclusively Western, and the whole narrative is presented through a Western lens. There are shocking lapses of objectivity, like when the author calls the Kurds "primitive." Even the title is a misnomer, since the last third of the book covers the post-Sultan period of Turkish history.

[Solaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually very easy, enjoyable read for a dry, informative history lesson. :)

[Drake McCrary · Rating 1 out of 5]

A huge English bias and outdated.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it. Some people complain that it's not historically accurate in some respects. I don't care. History is an agreed fiction, and this is at least a fascinating, exotic, well-told and interesting fiction.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 5 out of 5]

The research done to produce this detailed story of the Ottoman sultans is impressive.  This is the story of Suliman the Magnificent and the 25 sultans who followed him; men who fought, loved and dissipated their great gifts into nothingness.  Long before the end of the Ottoman Empire, it was called the "Sick Man" in European circles.

Between 1520 and 1566, the Ottoman Empire reached its zenith with the leadership of Suliman the Magnificent.  Surprisingly, the seeds of decay were sown by Suliman himself when he allowed his second wife to convince him to kill his own (eldest) son and to kill his best friend, the Grand Vizier.

Each sultan seemed to be more decrepit than the last; after Suliman, the remaining sultans avoided military service, drank and spent much of their time in the harem. In fact, the harem soon controlled the sultans.  One convinced her son to kill his 19 brothers so he would have no one to argue with his ascension to the throne.  Other sultans grew up in cages until it was time to be the next sultan.  By the time one was released from the cage, some had lost the ability to speak and were totally incapable of governing.  Madness became rampant amongst the sultans.

This is a fascinating book with all the treachery and violence one can imagine.  The final chapters were about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the man who recreated Turkey in 1923 and beyond.  The shocking thing is that this book tells of Kemal's changes in his country but also tells the negative side of this larger-than-life person.  It was a shock to learn how vicious Ataturk was.  The common man considers Ataturk to be the Father of Turkey.  History shows a less-benign person in the leadership role.  Books in Barber's bibliography support the author's descriptions and evaluations.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engrossing account of the excesses and debauchery of the Ottoman rulers.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book. Lots of history of Turkey, harems and the fall of the Ottoman empire. Just another world.

[Victor N · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much artistic licensing for my liking.

[Chris Linehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Noel Barber did a pretty good job sketching a brief history of the Ottomans beginning with Suleiman the Magnificent and the sultans who followed him to the dissolution of the Empire in the early 20th century. As a history geek I enjoyed the easy read of the book. If I want to dig deeper into the Ottomans then I am sure there are more scholarly books out there; but, I think this book has provided a good base for me to dig if I decide to.

I find it incredible that as I sit, I am barely a century removed from some of the book. I’m also somewhat astounded that the 250 or so years between Suleiman and the birth of modern Turkey lasted as long as it did. I’m not well versed on Ottoman history and so this book could be sensationalist literature and I may have to revise my take later on. The way Barber illustrates it is truly dumbfounding that the empire could linger on through the ups and downs of the various Sultans, all of whom have serious flaws.

Forgive me, as I know I’m rambling a bit. In my head there was a concise transition and I seem to have lost that train of thought. It’s almost impossible for me to read history without subconsciously comparing it to the present. There’s enough hyperbole out there already concerning the last four years without me piling on my own thoughts. However, I find it difficult to not make a connection between some of the obvious follies of the decadent and paranoid rulers of the late Empire and today’s America. I finished this book right after the farcical storming of the Capitol and I can’t decide if I am saddened about the demise of the country or heartened that it can limp on another two and a half centuries as a shadow of itself.

[K. Eren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Başlarda okurken ve okumadan önce heyecanlanmıştım. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nu arka plandan öğrenmeyi merak ediyordum. Kitap ise çok ilgimi çekmişti. Ama okudukça fark ettim ki, bir propagandadan başka bir şey değil.

Eleştirilere her zaman tahammül edebildiğimi düşünüyorum ki zaman zaman ben de Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nu eleştiriyorum. Fakat bu düpedüz ikiyüzlülük gibi olmuş.

Yazar, utanmadan Kurtuluş Savaşı’ndaki İzmir Yangını’nı Türklerin çıkarttığını iddia edebiliyor. Atatürk’ün kişisel hayatı hakkında iftira atabiliyor.

Okuduğum en kötü kitap diyebilirim, çünkü tarihin gerçeklerine saygısı olmayan insanların bir şeyler anlatabilecek kabiliyeti olmadığını düşünüyorum.

•

At first I was excited while reading and before I read it. I was curious to learn about the Ottoman Empire from the background. The book intrigued me. But as I read, I realized that it is nothing but a propaganda.

I think that I can always tolerate criticism, and from time to time I also criticize the Ottoman Empire. But that was outright hypocrisy.

The author can shamelessly claim that the Turks started the Izmir Fire in the War of Independence. He is slandering Atatürk's personal life.

I can say that it is the worst book I have ever read, because I think that people who do not respect the facts of history do not have the ability to tell something.

[Krishna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book covers Ottoman history from Suleiman the Magnificent to the founder of modern Turkey - Kemal Ataturk. As Barber states, this traces the slow decline of the Ottoman empire its heights during Suleiman's time till the last Sultan, Abdulmejid II, was deposed by Ataturk.

While I can't comment on the historical accuracy of the book, it held my attention for the entirety and painted a vivid picture of the Ottoman empire. It's opulence, power, and the mysteries of the harem. It also shows the horrific violence meted out to both native Turks and subject races such as the Greeks, Armenians, and Kurds.

It is also clear that the book was written a generation ago, since it contains words and phrases which would now be politically indelicate. The context of the words, however, suggests that it was not used with ill intent - just used since it was the norm at that time.

[Nick H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-researched, but I found it lacking in empathy and historical grounding. There were so many atrocities committed, which really got glazed over without taking any time to contextual them. And I don’t remember hearing any concrete dates or even concurrent world events until around halfway through. This made it difficult to pin down when things were taking place. I also wish the book flipped the narrative weight, focusing more on the golden age and less on the empire’s decline. But that’s just a personal preference. Narrator Davidson does well, though at times his apathetic English accent feels almost disrespectful, like he wishes he were somewhere else. [LIBRARY AUDIOBOOK]

[Philip Kahn-Pauli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books would make Edward Said sad. I mean that seriously. It is a great illustration of the Orientalism that Said argued against his entire life. Barber does write a gripping tale...but one that leans heavily on lurid descriptions of hareem life and Turkish brutality. That said, Barber does frankly and clearly talk about the Armenian genocide which I was kind of surprised about.

Worst of all, and perhaps most unsurprising, Barber didn't even deign to consult an non-Western/non-English source for any of his work. It left me wanting to review more contemporary scholarship on Ottoman life and rulership. But it was a free audiobook on Audible so glad to have it done and dusted.

[Sarah Toppins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so rich with the history of the Ottoman Empire and Turkey that I suggest it more as a resource book than a straight non-fiction read. I started listening to it before I visited Turkey and finally finished it three months later. But if I had to take a quiz on the contents of the book, I'm sure I'd fail. I did find the last chapter fascinating because it described some less savory characteristics of the sultan who changed his name and became the first leader of the Turkish Republic. I visited his mausoleum and the museum there and the stories of our tour guide only talked about the heroic qualities of the leader.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, easy read that deliberately avoids being too thorough but rather focuses on the decline of the Ottoman Empire through the stories of its increasingly deficient leaders. For a novice on the subject, I enjoyed the overall context and reveled in the bizarre details of the Sultans. The first half of the book covers considerable chronological ground (~400 years) while the second half wraps up the final 50 years or so, concluding with a long section about the rise and victory of Mustafa Kemal/Kamal Ataturk as a sort-of last Sultan in the book.

[Nyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a real objective, serious history book.

This is very much western oriented.

But, it has interesting content and you can learn about the subtle western prejudices that a westerner might have during the author’s time.

[Julio Cesar Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing exposure to a world I could only begin to imagine. Being raised in the US I always wonder about the journey of other cultures and people. This is a great way to jump into the world of the middle east.

[Mirella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read if you are into history. I enjoyed learning about the history of the sultans and the down fall after Suleiman the magnificent

[Beth Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colourful, but not altogether accurate. He presents tales and legends as truth. The illustrations make this book a worthwhile read.

[Ganesh Shetty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good broad history of the Ottoman Empire.

[Jean Marie McNamara]

Real life Game of Thrones, but far more violent and without the dragons.

[sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting!

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