Standard diplomatic history with little analysis and even less on culture

Review of Ottoman Centuries by Lord Kinross

The Ottoman story is remarkable: founded in the 13^th century, a small tribe began to build an empire in Central Asia and expanded into Byzantine territory, stopping at the gates of Vienna in 1529. Conquering large swaths of territory in North Africa and the Arabian peninsula, it had expanded unchecked for 200 years, became a sea power, controlling most …