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Download Ebook Inside the Seraglio: Private Lives of the Sultans in Istanbul (International Library of Historical Studies), by John Freely

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Inside the Seraglio: Private Lives of the Sultans in Istanbul (International Library of Historical Studies), by John Freely

Download Ebook Inside the Seraglio: Private Lives of the Sultans in Istanbul (International Library of Historical Studies), by John Freely

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Book Description

The story of the House of Osman, the imperial dynasty that ruled the Ottoman Empire for more than seven centuries.

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About the Author

John Freely (1926 - 2017) was born in New York and joined the US Navy at the age of seventeen, serving during the last two years of World War II. He had a PhD in physics from New York University and did post-doctoral studies in the history of science at Oxford. He was for many years professor of physics at Bosphorus University in Istanbul, where he taught physics and the history of science. He wrote more than forty books, including Light from the East: How the Science of Medieval Islam Helped Shape the Western World (I.B.Tauris, 2010), The Grand Turk, Storm on Horseback, Children of Achilles, The Cyclades,The Ionian Islands (all I.B.Tauris), Crete, The Western Shores of Turkey, Strolling through Athens, Strolling through Venice and the bestselling Strolling through Istanbul (all Tauris Parke Paperbacks).

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Product details

Series: International Library of Historical Studies

Paperback: 304 pages

Publisher: Tauris Parke Paperbacks (December 30, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 9781784535353

ISBN-13: 978-1784535353

ASIN: 1784535354

Product Dimensions:

5 x 0.9 x 7.9 inches

Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review:

4.0 out of 5 stars

12 customer reviews

Amazon Best Sellers Rank:

#2,050,569 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Great book. If you are interested in learning useful information about Constantinople/Istanbul, then read anything by John Freely. He's lived in Istanbul many years, has written extensively about the city, its history, culture, and society and writes very clear prose. When you read his books you actually understand what he's saying and acquire knowledge. He's a very good, reliable guide.He also wrote a wonderful book about walking tours of modern Istanbul which is anything but pedestrian (ha ha, get it? Walking tours...pedestrian? Sorry, I couldn't resist). He writes like a novelist when he describes the buildings, neighbourhoods, and traditions. It's clear that Freely admires the city, but he doesn't just give you a starry-eyed account of the growing metropolis. He includes warts and all.Although I've never visited Istanbul, I feel that I have, since reading Freely's books. What higher praise can you give such a writer?

I am sorry to say that I really didn't enjoy this book at all. Mr. Freely didn't seem to dig in and try and figure out what was actually court gossip and rumor as opposed to real fact. It seemed like he just skimmed the top on all the people he profiled. There was no effort to discover if some of the reports were biased or outright falsehoods to paint a certain picture. It sort of came off like I was reading the Enquirer for the Sultans. I feel like so much more could have been done and just wasn't. I wouldn't recommend this book. It wasn't even a fun read. It was tedious.

This fascinating book summarizes the court life of the Ottoman sultans in Istanbul. It begins with a few short passages on the founding of the dynasty in the 13th Century, but the most intriguing stories begin after the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the Ottoman takeover of the city.John Freely writes in a clear and concise manner that makes what could be complex material simpler to read. And the characters, from the royal courtiers to the concubines to the sultans themselves are all portrayed with fascinating insight. The text is illustrated throughout by some beautiful prints and sketches as well.This is a great book about the inner workings of the court life of the Ottoman dynasty, and will likely whet the reader's appetite to do delve more deeply into the subject.

The well known author John Freely presents an interesting account of the characters of the Ottoman Sultans. Nevertheless, this is a sensitive subject in the Balkans and Anatolia and the account given of the Sultans' vices is not totally convincing, if the inquisitive reader looks deeper into other historical sources, as author keeps a safe distance from any derogatory pieces of information on iconic Sultans like Mehmet II, Selim I, and Suleiman I. On the other hand, the text is well written and the illustrations very attractive making the book thoroughly enjoyable.

halfway through this book and cannot put it down.

This used hook looked like it had never been opened. In excellent condition. Exactly the volume I wanted.

great

The House of Osman must surely have been the most useless dynasty in all history, even more so than the Japanese emperors. At least the Japanese emperors performed the annual rites of planting rice. Although the Osmanli claimed to be both sultans and caliphs, not one made the hajj.Such occasional odd facts present the justification for spending time with John Freely`s "Inside the Seraglio," which is otherwise nothing much but court gossip. Freely never even describes the origins of the Seraglio, which was not a Turkish custom.The strange combination of hysteria about women's sexuality and a preference (much of the time) for coupling with boys was taken from the Arabs, but the ferocious habit of strangling all the brothers of a new sultan was a characteristic Turkish touch, even if justified by a verse from the Koran -- an interpretation not usually made by other Muslim ruling families.The allure, for Europeans, of the Seraglio was its aura of lasciviousness, which is on prominent display here. Freely quotes freely from European observers and (less often) Ottoman sources about orgies. Not only sexual orgies, but, at various times, orgies of music, tulips, wrestling, mayhem, alcohol. Even, sometimes, orgies of devotion. Curiously, given Turkey's reputation for poppies, no sultans are described as opium users.Most were drunks, and at least half were deranged. Considering how precarious and nerve-wracking being a sultan or a sultan's woman, servant or vezir could be, it is a surprise that none ever made a break for freedom. Life was certainly precarious. For 200 years, a period of 11 rulers, no son succeeded his father.Despite the fecklessness of the last 30 or so sultans, the dynasty lasted much longer than most, about 600 years. Because the harem girls were almost always foreigners (latterly, almost exclusively Circassians), most of the Osmanli rulers had very little Turkish ancestry.Although "Inside the Seraglio" has its moments, it does not make a good book. Call it Licentiousness-lite.We really are given no reason to care who these people were, not in the context of a great state. There are many interesting illustrations, taken from Turkish miniatures or European engravings, but they are too small, muddy and monochromatic to reveal much. Freely has written a number of travel books, and something could have been made of the fabulous architecture that the sultans put up, but nothing is.

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