The Ottoman Empire
- Narrated by:
- Length: 18 hrs and 43 mins
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- Lecture
- Release Date:26/05/2017
- Publisher: The Great Courses
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Publisher's Summary
By understanding the dramatic story of the Ottoman Empire - from its early years as a collection of raiders and conquerors to its undeniable power in the 15th and 16th centuries to its catastrophic collapse in the wreckage of the First World War - one can better grasp the current complexities of the Middle East.
Over the course of these 36 enlightening lectures, investigate over 600 years of history that covers the nature of Ottoman identity, the achievements of the Sultan's court, and stories of confrontation and cooperation with the West.
Befitting a story of such epic scope and grandeur, every lecture is a treasure trove of historical insights into the people, events, themes, and locales responsible for shaping the story of this often-overlooked empire. You'll cover everything from Rumi, the whirling dervishes, and the importance of the sultan's grand viziers to the wars of Sultan Suleiman I, the shadowy politics of the Committee of Union and Progress, and the birth of the Turkish Republic under Kemal Atatürk.
Welcome to a fascinating story of the triumph and tragedy, war and peace, intellectual progress and civil insurrection of a great empire that, for all its glory and grandeur, has left an important legacy that will shape the future of the Balkan nation-states, the Turkish Republic, and the Arab world - and those of us in the West as well.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
Download the accompanying reference guide.
©2017 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2017 The Great Courses
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What Members Say
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"Not only the history of modern turkey, but"
Not only the history of modern turkey, but also of the balkans, middle east, north africa and in part of central Asia. This is my favorite set of history lectures from the great courses so far, I knew next to nothing of the subject and it was a truly eye opening experience, the professor is fantastic. This course also combines well with the history of eastern europe great course, which I went through earlier. It also combines well with the lectures on the Byzantium empire great course, i.e. the predecessor of the Ottoman empire, by the same professor, though the Byzantium lectures were quite dry, fortunately the ottoman lectures are not dry at all, and are a truly facinating listen.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful -
"Good overview for the interested non-academic"
The common Western view of the Ottoman Empire is shaped by films like "Lawrence of Arabia" - a decaying despotism being pushed off history's stage. Yet for several centuries it dominated that stage, an empire extending over three continents, and for much of that time more pluralist in racial or religious terms than many of its successor states.
This is a well-presented account for the interested non-academic: I enjoyed it and learned a lot from it.0 of 0 people found this review helpful
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Nick01/07/17
"Surprisingly biased"
I enjoyed every other series Professor Harl has made, but this one was sub-par. I found myself wondering why he was really hitting hard on the positive stuff about the Ottomans and downplaying the negative, when what I'd admired about his other lectures was the relatively unbiased approach. They weren't apologies but they weren't condemnations either, it was simply history. This series really felt like an op ed piece at times, and Harl often exhibits doublethink (ex: denies that the Armenian genocide occurred because it doesn't fit the UN definition of genocide, but then dismisses the German govt's acknowledgement of the genocide since he "doesn't think politics should play a role in deciding what actually happened"). Once he said he has a Turkish wife though, it started to make sense. There's still some good information in the course, if you don't mind that he glosses over some of the more gruesome aspects of Ottoman society, like how the Janissaries were kidnapped and forcibly circumcized, or the fact that he never really explains that whole silk cord thing or any of the cultural background in which such practices emerged.
That being said, I don't think this course is worth purchasing, you could get all this information on wikipedia and you wouldn't be missing out on any thing really. The most interesting part of the narrative is whenever Europeans enter the scene and Harl has plenty of other quality courses on those subjects, like The Era of the Crusades, World of Byzantium, and Great Ancient Civilizations of Asia Minor.34 of 44 people found this review helpful -
JustinNew Glasgow, Nova Scotia04/06/17
"A+ Course by an A+ Professor"
Harl is one the greatest professors with the Great Courses. I enjoyed every second of this largely unexplored area of world history.
7 of 10 people found this review helpful -
Mike R.Pennsylvania09/08/17
"Another A++ series from Prof. Harl!!!"
I’d give it 7 of 5 stars if possible. It is superbly organized. It’s terrific to see history unfold from the Ottoman viewpoint. I think it corrects for conceptions of the modern Muslim-majority nation state that is too frequently projected into the past. The course is very helpful in thinking about the Balkans and the lead up to WW1.
I appreciate Prof. Harl most when he’s focused on Antiquity through the Middle Ages, where his style is to tell us what the literary sources say – what the archaeological record (so far) tells us – the relevant ancient anecdotes and excerpts (from Herodotus, Plutarch, Livy) that make history interesting – a few jokes of his own – and then maybe a few comments on the current “state of scholarly debate,” or where he has a bias with which other history profs may disagree.
To contrast, some very good lecturers get too bogged down in what various historical “schools of thought” say about a subject (Fagan, others). Others get too cute in trying to weave a continuous narrative and leave out too many details (Fears, Garland). A few bad apples start with a sociological point of view, and try to read that back into time by cherry picking incidents that support it (Dise).
Harl’s lectures are authentic and flow naturally, without any gimmicks. His mastery of the material is obvious. I have listened to all 11 of his courses, most more than once, and he’s simply the best. I would love to see him do a deep dive on the Iranian plateau – Persians though Seleucids, Parthians, Abbasids, etc. That has yet to be covered in detail by a lecturer of Prof. Harl’s caliber.4 of 5 people found this review helpful -
sirolfw21/06/17
"Good clear sum-up of the history for anyone who wants understand this period in time."
A good distinction is made about why this empire was not "Turkish" or Arabic, but Muslim.
Also, provides good background about the modern day conflicts between Serbia and Bosnia.6 of 8 people found this review helpful -
xianNew Mexico13/07/17
"A solid spoken-word history course"
I recommend listening with a map / world atlas handy - lots of country & region names are presented.
I found that the narrative bogged down during WWI - I was overwhelmed by the lists of battles, and lost track of the big picture. Overall, though, I enjoyed both the course structure and narration. I particularly enjoyed the discussion of technological developments in military & architecture.2 of 4 people found this review helpful -
khaledalyami001Danabuckmir00124/06/17
"This is an magnificent set of lectures!"
I have listened to most of Professor Harl's lectures given by the teaching company through Audible, not to mention that I have listened to some set of lecture more than one time. I can say that I am very grateful for these lectures as they are very informative, interesting, engaging, and (to use the adjective Mr. Harl uses to Süleyman the Magnificent) magnificent, which is a word I rarely use to describe something.
I have moved to Turkey about 6 months ago, and with the help of this course on Othoman Empire (even if I don't prefer to call it so) I was able to understand people and thing s happening around me. What I really liked though is Professor's Harl great effort to combine sources from the East and West seeking understanding some of the most controversial aspects of Othoman history.
What I also like is the organization of this set of lectures in a way that has allowed me to understand the most important dates, events, turning points, and more in Othoman history and a little beyond :)
I highly recommend it!4 of 6 people found this review helpful -
Nikolas KouvarosCyprus14/10/17
"Some interesting parts but ..."
Although there are some good parts on this and is at times an interesting story to listen to, the author takes a "bold" pro-Ottoman side in crucial humanitarian issues like the Armenian and Greek genocide. As himself states early in the book, his wife is Turkish, I am afraid this has prevented him for keeping a more neutral stand in these depressing pages of human history. Overall, a disappointing purchase.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful -
Jon30/09/17
"Informative and Great New Perspective "
I've gained a better perspective on the Ottoman Empire after completing this course. The author / narrator concentrates a considerable amount of attention on the political and military history of the O.E. I tend to enjoy this aspect of the course, but for those interested in cultural history this course has much to offer in this respect too.
Probably the best insight that I took away is a new view of Ottoman history from their perspective and not from the Euro-centric perspective that I was taught in most of my high school and college courses. Highly recommend this course and the professor!0 of 1 people found this review helpful -
Jon CrawfurdST PETERSBURG, FL USA30/09/17
"Not up to The Great Courses Statndards"
I could get through only a small portion of this. It seems disjointed and unorganized, and assumes the listener has more of an understanding of this history than I do. Not good.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful -
Ponn VirulrakIrvine, CA - USA25/08/17
"Great Story Telling!!"
The lecturer obviously has an ultra deep knowledge about the Ottoman Empire History. Audiences can certainly feel his passion when listenning through it. It is like time travel which includes example, analysis and philosophy of life in such a great empire that contribute so much to the world's civilization. I highly recommend to History lovers.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful