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Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman the Magnificent, most glorious of the Ottoman sultans, kept Europe atremble for nearly half a century. In a few years he led his army as far as the gates of Vienna, made himself master of the Mediterranean and established his court in Baghdad. Faced with this redoubtable champion, who regarded it as his duty to extend the boundaries of Islam farther and farther, the Christian world struggled to unite against him.
‘The Shadow of God on Earth’, but also an expert politician and allpowerful despot, Suleiman ruled the state firmly with the help of his viziers. He extended the borders of the empire beyond what any of the Ottoman sultans had achieved, yet it is primarily as a lawgiver that he is remembered in Turkish history.
His empire held dominion over three continents populated by more than thirty million inhabitants, among whom nearly all of the races and religions of mankind were represented. Prospering under a well-directed, authoritarian economy, Suleiman’s reign marked the apogee of Ottoman power. City and country alike experienced unprecedented economic and demographic growth. Istanbul was the largest city in the world, enjoying a remarkable renaissance of arts and letters; a mighty capital, it was the seat of the Seraglio and dark intrigue.
André Clot (1909–2002) was a French historian and journalist. He lived in Turkey and the countries of the Near and Middle East for many years and was an expert on Islam. His other works include Harun al-Rashid and the World of the Thousand and One Nights, also by Saqi Books.
‘The Shadow of God on Earth’, but also an expert politician and allpowerful despot, Suleiman ruled the state firmly with the help of his viziers. He extended the borders of the empire beyond what any of the Ottoman sultans had achieved, yet it is primarily as a lawgiver that he is remembered in Turkish history.
His empire held dominion over three continents populated by more than thirty million inhabitants, among whom nearly all of the races and religions of mankind were represented. Prospering under a well-directed, authoritarian economy, Suleiman’s reign marked the apogee of Ottoman power. City and country alike experienced unprecedented economic and demographic growth. Istanbul was the largest city in the world, enjoying a remarkable renaissance of arts and letters; a mighty capital, it was the seat of the Seraglio and dark intrigue.
André Clot (1909–2002) was a French historian and journalist. He lived in Turkey and the countries of the Near and Middle East for many years and was an expert on Islam. His other works include Harun al-Rashid and the World of the Thousand and One Nights, also by Saqi Books.
416 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 7, 2017
Very, very good and extensive research - which is why I am giving this book 3 stars instead of the 2 it really deserves.
Originally written in French, the translation is pretty good and flows freely. The title is a misnomer as this book is not about Suleiman, his personal life or his achievements. Instead, it takes a long route through the establishment of the Ottoman Empire to its decline, goes into inordinate length into the wars fought by Suleiman and his predecessors and successors and touches upon some cultural and economic aspects of the Ottoman Empire both in Suleiman's time and in its entirety.
I am not complaining with the vast scope to which Clot chose to extend the book, but I did have some issues with the execution. The entire first half of the book is about wars that were fought by the Empire. It goes into excruciating detail about how many men did what where and how, so much so that I got stuck in the chapter describing the fights with the Holy Roman Empire for close to a year because it was so terribly boring. The entire first half of the book deals with this topic in minute detail until you are ready to beg for mercy.
The book is also pretty Eurocentric and while the politics and wars with Spain, France, Hungary, Venice and even England are discussed in unnecessary detail, the countries to the east like the wars with the Safavids are barely mentioned.
For a book on Suleiman, it barely left me with any impression of the man himself or of his contributions to his country. Suleiman's youth, his personal life, his court culture, the local politics, his legal policies and many things which would be of interest to a biographer are just skimmed over and the reader is left with only a hazy impression and does not really gain much knowledge about the man himself. I am personally very disappointed that enough time was not spent on Suleiman's contribution to creating the secular laws, which gave him the title of 'Lawgiver'. Something as huge as Suleiman scrapping the Law of Fratricide was given two sentences worth of attention at the end of the book. Very disappointing.
The second part of the book is far more interesting - from my perspective. It deals with the economics, culture and trade before, during and after Suleiman's reign. Even though, I felt I could have done with better explanations in this section. Clot mentions how the price revolution in Europe destroyed the Ottoman economy, but does not go into detail on this subject. Many such fascinating subjects are simply touched upon superficially and neglected in favour of describing pages upon pages of war strategies in a repetitive manner.
Overall, I would not recommend this as a starting point for learning about Suleiman, mostly because there is not much about him in the book. But it's not a bad book to read if you are interested in Ottoman history in general.
Originally written in French, the translation is pretty good and flows freely. The title is a misnomer as this book is not about Suleiman, his personal life or his achievements. Instead, it takes a long route through the establishment of the Ottoman Empire to its decline, goes into inordinate length into the wars fought by Suleiman and his predecessors and successors and touches upon some cultural and economic aspects of the Ottoman Empire both in Suleiman's time and in its entirety.
I am not complaining with the vast scope to which Clot chose to extend the book, but I did have some issues with the execution. The entire first half of the book is about wars that were fought by the Empire. It goes into excruciating detail about how many men did what where and how, so much so that I got stuck in the chapter describing the fights with the Holy Roman Empire for close to a year because it was so terribly boring. The entire first half of the book deals with this topic in minute detail until you are ready to beg for mercy.
The book is also pretty Eurocentric and while the politics and wars with Spain, France, Hungary, Venice and even England are discussed in unnecessary detail, the countries to the east like the wars with the Safavids are barely mentioned.
For a book on Suleiman, it barely left me with any impression of the man himself or of his contributions to his country. Suleiman's youth, his personal life, his court culture, the local politics, his legal policies and many things which would be of interest to a biographer are just skimmed over and the reader is left with only a hazy impression and does not really gain much knowledge about the man himself. I am personally very disappointed that enough time was not spent on Suleiman's contribution to creating the secular laws, which gave him the title of 'Lawgiver'. Something as huge as Suleiman scrapping the Law of Fratricide was given two sentences worth of attention at the end of the book. Very disappointing.
The second part of the book is far more interesting - from my perspective. It deals with the economics, culture and trade before, during and after Suleiman's reign. Even though, I felt I could have done with better explanations in this section. Clot mentions how the price revolution in Europe destroyed the Ottoman economy, but does not go into detail on this subject. Many such fascinating subjects are simply touched upon superficially and neglected in favour of describing pages upon pages of war strategies in a repetitive manner.
Overall, I would not recommend this as a starting point for learning about Suleiman, mostly because there is not much about him in the book. But it's not a bad book to read if you are interested in Ottoman history in general.
April 15, 2019
Well, what a long and tough journey this was! Almost as tough as Suleiman marching his armies into Europe, or perhaps just as. It was difficult for me to produce any sort of judgement or critique on this book due to my unique situation of having already obtained a majority of the information provided in the book prior to reading it. Even with the extreme neutral position I now hold I can confidently say that the book was slightly disappointing.
Although I knew I wouldn't learn much from the book because of my previous intense research on the subject of the Ottoman empire, I had a completely different idea of what the book would offer, and that expectation not being met was in itself the most contributing factor to my disappointment. I believe historical biographies like the one provided by Andre Clot should be assume a more narrative nature. Andre here opts for a more detailed informative nature, filled to the brim with dates, figures, numbers and names; it would be absolutely impossible to swallow or in fact retain any of the multitude of unnecessary information provided by mainstream and researchers alike.
Writing about such a magnificent character as is Suleiman can undoubtedly have been a joy for Mr. Clot, but he missed a great opportunity to write a magnificent history book. There was no direct chronological order and years, times and centuries went back and forth several times even throughout the same chapter at times. Rather than deal with chronological events within Suleiman's reign or life, Andre chooses to discuss separate subjects one at a time trying to infuse the chronological order in each.
Also, beyond the above, the book is separated into two parts. One part dealing directly with Suleiman's life, the second dealing with the Ottoman empire, down to the minute details, during Suleiman's reign which I found, even as a hardcore Ottoman era fan, found excruciatingly and immensely boring. It had touches of nice knowledge and information that I was glad to add to my already established research but I couldn't possibly imagine a mainstream reader struggling through it. The second part of the book took almost double the time the first did, although it was significantly shorter.
From a neutral perspective I cannot deny the immense amount of information provided here by Andre Clot, not just of the Ottoman empire and of Suleiman, but of neighbouring countries, Europe and almost all who surrounded Suleiman and cam into contact with him directly or indirectly. And for this I have to tip my hat for the immense research done by the writer. It is an excellent introduction into the universe that is the Ottoman Empire and would be my go-to guide for anything Suleiman related if ever asked for one. If you can bear the mountains of information provided in this book, I can't see any reason why anyone wouldn't enjoy this!
Although I knew I wouldn't learn much from the book because of my previous intense research on the subject of the Ottoman empire, I had a completely different idea of what the book would offer, and that expectation not being met was in itself the most contributing factor to my disappointment. I believe historical biographies like the one provided by Andre Clot should be assume a more narrative nature. Andre here opts for a more detailed informative nature, filled to the brim with dates, figures, numbers and names; it would be absolutely impossible to swallow or in fact retain any of the multitude of unnecessary information provided by mainstream and researchers alike.
Writing about such a magnificent character as is Suleiman can undoubtedly have been a joy for Mr. Clot, but he missed a great opportunity to write a magnificent history book. There was no direct chronological order and years, times and centuries went back and forth several times even throughout the same chapter at times. Rather than deal with chronological events within Suleiman's reign or life, Andre chooses to discuss separate subjects one at a time trying to infuse the chronological order in each.
Also, beyond the above, the book is separated into two parts. One part dealing directly with Suleiman's life, the second dealing with the Ottoman empire, down to the minute details, during Suleiman's reign which I found, even as a hardcore Ottoman era fan, found excruciatingly and immensely boring. It had touches of nice knowledge and information that I was glad to add to my already established research but I couldn't possibly imagine a mainstream reader struggling through it. The second part of the book took almost double the time the first did, although it was significantly shorter.
From a neutral perspective I cannot deny the immense amount of information provided here by Andre Clot, not just of the Ottoman empire and of Suleiman, but of neighbouring countries, Europe and almost all who surrounded Suleiman and cam into contact with him directly or indirectly. And for this I have to tip my hat for the immense research done by the writer. It is an excellent introduction into the universe that is the Ottoman Empire and would be my go-to guide for anything Suleiman related if ever asked for one. If you can bear the mountains of information provided in this book, I can't see any reason why anyone wouldn't enjoy this!
April 7, 2018
By nearly every measure, the sixteenth century bore witness to a remarkable number of extraordinary monarchs. Rulers such as Henry VIII and Elizabeth I of England, Francis I of France, the Habsburg emperors Charles V and Philip II, Ivan IV of Russia, ‘Abbas I of Persia, and the Mughal emperor Akbar reshaped their realms through their ambitious policies and forceful rule. Yet even in this august group the name of Suleiman stands out. As sultan of the Ottomans, Suleiman led the empire during what is generally regarded as the pinnacle of its glory and power. Under his rule the empire flourished and extended its control over three continents. Yet in spite of this Suleiman has received far less attention form biographers than most of his contemporaries, present more often as an opponent or an ally in many accounts than as a figure worth of attention in his own right.
Given this, Andre Clot’s biography of the sultan is to be welcomed. A longtime journalist, Clot divides his book into two parts. The first is a straightforward narrative of Suleiman’s life that addresses on the political and military aspects of his reign. This section focuses heavily on Suleiman’s interactions with Christian Europe, even to the point of having an entire chapter addressing the sultan’s relations with Francis I. The second part of the book is an examination of the Ottoman empire during Suleiman’s reign, one that describes the economy, urban life, and culture that existed during his reign. Though the two sections compliment each other, each part stands alone to the point of being able to be read separate from the other, a lack of integration that ultimately weakens the effort to present a rounded overall picture of Suleiman and his times.
In the end, the focus and structure of the book prevent it from achieving Clot’s stated goal of providing a fuller understanding of Suleiman and his empire. The Eurocentrism of Clot’s narrative slights the considerable campaigns Suleiman conducted on his eastern borders against the Safavids, to say nothing of his considerable contributions to the empire’s internal development in such areas as the law. Mixing the two sections might have counterbalanced this, but their separation inhibits an easy understanding of his role and impact within the broader empire. These problems limit the usefulness of Clot’s book, which is recommended for anyone seeking to learn about the sultan only because of the disappointing lack of anything better.
Given this, Andre Clot’s biography of the sultan is to be welcomed. A longtime journalist, Clot divides his book into two parts. The first is a straightforward narrative of Suleiman’s life that addresses on the political and military aspects of his reign. This section focuses heavily on Suleiman’s interactions with Christian Europe, even to the point of having an entire chapter addressing the sultan’s relations with Francis I. The second part of the book is an examination of the Ottoman empire during Suleiman’s reign, one that describes the economy, urban life, and culture that existed during his reign. Though the two sections compliment each other, each part stands alone to the point of being able to be read separate from the other, a lack of integration that ultimately weakens the effort to present a rounded overall picture of Suleiman and his times.
In the end, the focus and structure of the book prevent it from achieving Clot’s stated goal of providing a fuller understanding of Suleiman and his empire. The Eurocentrism of Clot’s narrative slights the considerable campaigns Suleiman conducted on his eastern borders against the Safavids, to say nothing of his considerable contributions to the empire’s internal development in such areas as the law. Mixing the two sections might have counterbalanced this, but their separation inhibits an easy understanding of his role and impact within the broader empire. These problems limit the usefulness of Clot’s book, which is recommended for anyone seeking to learn about the sultan only because of the disappointing lack of anything better.
June 24, 2020
André Clot leverde een meer dan gedegen werk af met zijn biografie over de Ottomaanse Suleiman, de sultan die in de eerste helft van de zestiende eeuw het vuur aan de schenen legde voor de Habsburgers. Het - soms ingewikkelde - verhaal wordt bevattelijk en volledig verteld en Clot vermijdt gelukkig de gezwollen en archaïsch aandoende beschrijvingen waar Franse historici zich dikwijls aan bezondigen. Wie de puzzel over de zestiende eeuw wil samen leggen kan niet om dit boek heen.
Aanrader.
Aanrader.
February 22, 2013
Great book. Andre Colt has another book about Haroon Al Rashid which is equally as good.
February 27, 2016
excellent book despite some faults
September 7, 2023
The book is pretty good - though it is originally written in French the English translation does not disappoint. But I did feel like I missed at time some cultural ethos that Andre Clot was trying to put forward.
The book throws in a lot of names and events, so it might overwhelm someone not exactly familiar with that era (like I was not) but it still is a pretty good insight into the workings of the Ottomans.
Suleiman is painted slightly heroic at the beginning but it might have been originally written a little tongue in cheek. Though the book has not shied away from the real politiks of that time between the Ottomans and the Christian world.
Importance was given to Suleiman's wife Roxelana but it was limited to her role in the internal court politics and favouritism. But it weaved away from popular dramatic ideas that Roxelana poisoned Suleimans mind against his Grand Vazier Ibrahim. Overall a solidly well researched book.
Glad I read this one and I will probably end up picking more books on the Ottomans.
The book throws in a lot of names and events, so it might overwhelm someone not exactly familiar with that era (like I was not) but it still is a pretty good insight into the workings of the Ottomans.
Suleiman is painted slightly heroic at the beginning but it might have been originally written a little tongue in cheek. Though the book has not shied away from the real politiks of that time between the Ottomans and the Christian world.
Importance was given to Suleiman's wife Roxelana but it was limited to her role in the internal court politics and favouritism. But it weaved away from popular dramatic ideas that Roxelana poisoned Suleimans mind against his Grand Vazier Ibrahim. Overall a solidly well researched book.
Glad I read this one and I will probably end up picking more books on the Ottomans.
December 15, 2013
Ottoman Empire during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent (Kanuni - Law Giver) is presented by Clot in a great detail by the use abundant material from French press and archives of that period (owing to close friendly relationship between the French King Francis I and the Ottoman Sultan at the time), as well as material from Von Hammer and many others. Suleiman the Magnificent emerges as a highly cultivated, greatly talented, and yet enigmatic ruler who not only raised the Empire to its apogee during his long reign, but also planted the seeds of its decline by some fatal errors towards end of his life. A very enjoyable read.
March 12, 2017
I'm not a historian, but even with my mediocre knowledge I've found two horrendous mistakes in the book. First calling Ivan the Terrible as Ivan III (correctly he's Ivan IV), and the second - most shocking one - putting the scene of death of Suleiman at the siege of Szeged!!! For Goodness sake, it was at Szigetvár!!! These are two totally different places in southern Hungary, lying over 200 kilometers from each other!!! I'm wondering how much more factual mistakes are in this book??
September 13, 2015
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.
March 23, 2018
The book is titled "Suleiman the Magnificent" but only like half of it actually talks about him. The other half of the book is devoted to "random facts about Ottomans" really.
March 5, 2025
I picked up this book after visiting Topkapı Palace, which sparked my interest in Ottoman history. Wanting to explore this era, I decided to start with Suleiman - the magnificent sultan himself.
The book offers a captivating narrative of Suleiman’s life and the Ottoman Empire during his reign. What makes it stand out is its well-rounded approach, going beyond politics to explore the era’s art, literature, city planning, economy, and more. I appreciated that it was not just a political account or a plain biography but a broader look at the world Suleiman shaped.
However, there were a few aspects that gave me pause. Some claims seemed difficult to verify (e.g., the execution of 44 brothers by Moulay Hassan), and there were occasional editing issues (e.g. confusion between Turkic and Turkish, Ivan III mistakenly referred to as Ivan the Terrible instead of Ivan the Great, Rustem Pasha’s death listed as both 1561 and 1562, Grand Siècle incorrectly placed in the XVI century, etc.). The book also had a tendency to repeat certain points. Additionally, the references leaned heavily on French historians, which is understandable given the author’s scope of research, but it left me wanting to explore the subject further from the perspective of Turkish historians. It would have also been a nice touch to include some of Suleiman’s poetry throughout the book - to offer a glimpse into the heart of the man behind the title. Future reprints should also include portraits and paintings referenced by the author, as the reader has to go online and look up each one manually.
What resonated with me the most were the author’s final thoughts: how religious fanaticism contributed to the decline of what was once the greatest empire on earth, pushing it further away from development. This reflection still feels strikingly relevant to modern-day Turkey. If only history’s lessons were truly learned…
Despite its flaws, this is a solid and insightful read for anyone seeking a comprehensive perspective on Suleiman’s era. Last but not least, I proudly declare myself #TeamMustafa - the one thing I can never forgive the magnificent man for.
(5 Mar 2025)
The book offers a captivating narrative of Suleiman’s life and the Ottoman Empire during his reign. What makes it stand out is its well-rounded approach, going beyond politics to explore the era’s art, literature, city planning, economy, and more. I appreciated that it was not just a political account or a plain biography but a broader look at the world Suleiman shaped.
However, there were a few aspects that gave me pause. Some claims seemed difficult to verify (e.g., the execution of 44 brothers by Moulay Hassan), and there were occasional editing issues (e.g. confusion between Turkic and Turkish, Ivan III mistakenly referred to as Ivan the Terrible instead of Ivan the Great, Rustem Pasha’s death listed as both 1561 and 1562, Grand Siècle incorrectly placed in the XVI century, etc.). The book also had a tendency to repeat certain points. Additionally, the references leaned heavily on French historians, which is understandable given the author’s scope of research, but it left me wanting to explore the subject further from the perspective of Turkish historians. It would have also been a nice touch to include some of Suleiman’s poetry throughout the book - to offer a glimpse into the heart of the man behind the title. Future reprints should also include portraits and paintings referenced by the author, as the reader has to go online and look up each one manually.
What resonated with me the most were the author’s final thoughts: how religious fanaticism contributed to the decline of what was once the greatest empire on earth, pushing it further away from development. This reflection still feels strikingly relevant to modern-day Turkey. If only history’s lessons were truly learned…
Despite its flaws, this is a solid and insightful read for anyone seeking a comprehensive perspective on Suleiman’s era. Last but not least, I proudly declare myself #TeamMustafa - the one thing I can never forgive the magnificent man for.
(5 Mar 2025)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2020
There must surely be a pun to be made on the author's name - something like a clot upon Suleiman's magnificent reputation - but given that the book is very good, it's proved beyond my wit to make it. Suffice to say that the book spends its first half on Suleiman's life and reign in an engaging manner, making a reasonable effort to understand the man behind the appellation - Clot's point that Suleiman really did see himself as a ghazi, a warrior for Islam, is perhaps key to understanding much of his reign - and the second half in a wider description of the Ottoman world over which Suleiman reigned and which, during his reign, seemed poised to remake the world in his image and the image of his religion.
May 27, 2024
The first half of this book dealt with Suleiman and his relationship with Christian Europe more than anything. The second half of the book is different essays on the Ottoman Empire. Chapters on the architecture, poetry, prose, women, and religion, all pertaining to the empire. It doesn't follow a chronological order, therefore it is a little harder to digest. Informative.
August 20, 2025
This book gives readers a good glimpse into suleiman's empire. The writing has a smooth flow even though it only depicts the eurocentric pov. There are many mentions of how "oriental" some aspects of the Ottoman Empire were without defining what the word even means.
April 16, 2016
Debated giving it 2 stars, but got 3 on the wieght on research & foot notes throughout the book. The book was reasonably well written, assuming (hoping) some of the original prose was lost in the translation from French. I was concerned early on when i read that the reconquest of Spain hadbeen achieved by "his Catholic Majesty King Ferdinand" with no mention at all of Isabella.? Tainted my further reading i will say, yet was good. Contains 12 Appendices covering wide ranging topics from The Janissaries , Henry II of Portugal, Ottoman Court protocol. I would have prefered these as part of tbe story, often were more interedting. Interesting read, but really touched little on Suleiman himself, but looked at the Sultan's role in the Ottoman Empire and the battles taken place during his reign. Aware research material may be lacking but i did expect more to be honest.
You might like it but i didn't - Suleiman dies a bit over half way through, with the last few chapters discussing dufferent adoects of life within the Empire. If new to Ottoman history you'd enjoy it a more, but wasn't why i read the book.
You might like it but i didn't - Suleiman dies a bit over half way through, with the last few chapters discussing dufferent adoects of life within the Empire. If new to Ottoman history you'd enjoy it a more, but wasn't why i read the book.
March 30, 2015
It was a very interesting read. The book is divided into two main parts: the life of Suleiman the Magnificent, the greatest ruler of the Ottoman empire at the pick of its power, and very detailed political, social and economic review of his reign.
February 17, 2009
Extremely well researched, provides a very vivid picture of ottoman society and politics in Suleyman's age
July 29, 2011
Quality academic style biography, in other words not as gripping as it could have been, although nicely informative.
April 28, 2013
Very informative, an eye opener. Very dry, almost textbook history.
August 28, 2014
Unintentionally hilarious Orientalist bullcrap.
April 28, 2023
Excelente documental sobre una época increíble del imperio Otomano, con datos verificables y fácil de leer.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews