- Paperback: 416 pages
- Publisher: Overlook Press (Oct 27 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1585675814
- ISBN-13: 978-1585675814
- Product Dimensions: 22.4 x 15 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 522 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,742,927 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Turkey, write journalists Nicole and Hugh Pope in this well-made narrative history, is a land that defies easy categorization, a melange of elements "European, Western, Eastern, Islamic, fascistic, anarchic" that has always been something of an enigma to outsiders. After decades of stagnation, it is now emerging as a nation of central importance in Eurasian geopolitics, as it was in the days of the Ottoman Empire. The authors describe the growth of the modern Turkish state in the aftermath of World War I, when that empire, defeated by the Allied powers, splintered into some 30 independent states. Led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his so-called Young Turks, the postwar state sought to curb the growth of Islamic fundamentalism, to introduce some measure of democracy into a formerly autocratic system, and to secure a place for Turkey in the constellation of world powers. They were only partly successful; Atatürk, the authors contend, "led Turkey on the path of Westernization, but left it stranded half-way to full democratization because, deep down, he was not a democrat." Now, after years of military rule, the Turkish government is making efforts both to continue that democratization and to secure influence among the emerging Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union. The nation, the authors write, is now the arena of conflict between left and right, fundamentalist and secularist, nationalist and cosmopolitan: it stands at a crossroads both political and historical. Westerners, they suggest, would do well to pay closer attention to Turkish affairs, and their book is a fine contribution toward that end. --Gregory McNamee
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
"A well-balanced book ... affectionate and respectful, but highly critical, at the same time. It reads seamlessly." -- Louis de Bernières, the Observer Review, June 15, 1997
The best general survey of modern Turkish politics in English ... should become required reading for Western diplomats and politicians. -- Noel Malcolm, the Sunday Telegraph, June 22, 1997
``One of the best accounts of Turkey’s recent political history.'' -- Orhan Pamuk, Times Literary Supplement, August 8, 1997
``This is ... precisely the good readable introduction to Turkish politics which has been cruelly lacking for at least a generation'' -- Edward Mortimer, Financial Times, August 2, 1997
``This is a pragmatic, brisk trot across the territory, written out of an awesome depth of first-hand knowledge of the country'' -- Arminta Wallace, Irish Times, July 19, 1997 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
The best general survey of modern Turkish politics in English ... should become required reading for Western diplomats and politicians. -- Noel Malcolm, the Sunday Telegraph, June 22, 1997
``One of the best accounts of Turkey’s recent political history.'' -- Orhan Pamuk, Times Literary Supplement, August 8, 1997
``This is ... precisely the good readable introduction to Turkish politics which has been cruelly lacking for at least a generation'' -- Edward Mortimer, Financial Times, August 2, 1997
``This is a pragmatic, brisk trot across the territory, written out of an awesome depth of first-hand knowledge of the country'' -- Arminta Wallace, Irish Times, July 19, 1997 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Leave history-writing to scholars ....,
By
This review is from: Turkey Unveiled (Paperback)
I have found this book very polemical and sensationalist. You can tell the authors' journalistic background easily by their narrative: they emphasize sensational points in the story rather than convey history. They do this often through isolated individual examples and apply it to the entire country or Turkish people. It's definitely not scientific. Often times you feel like you're watching an episode of "48 hours" where an uninteresting story is overdramatized and skewed to make it interesting.It's also unfortunate that the authors, having lived in Turkey as long as they have, have not "got" the culture yet. They misinterpret many things about the language as well as the culture. From now on, I will pay closer attention to the credentials of the authors before picking up a book.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
A review from California...,
By
This review is from: Turkey Unveiled (Hardcover)
I have read Popes' book with great enthusiasm initially, but I must confess that I ended up in disappointment since I could not find in the book the nice and necessary touch to this highly complicated issue. The content of the book is not as academic as its title asserts. It is written very much in a journalistic style in terms of its outline and the quotations, which is fine. However, when it comes to the quality of the work within academic criteria, it lacks referencing some cornerstone work in the field, including some of Feroz Ahmad, Serif Mardin, Etienne Copeaux, Ilhan Tekeli, and many more. Without most of these references, I believe, a historical analysis of the modern Turkey remains incomplete and unfruitful. The authors definitely seem to know a significant lot about Turkey and they have a good grasp of the political scene in the country from the start of the Republic. Accordingly, I have found the book successful in presenting chronological information, which is a good contribution. Though having some minor chronological mistakes/typos, this book could be referred as a nice guide for people who have not been to Turkey or have not been exposed to the Turkish culture, of course, given that the personal views of the authors are not taken as granted. Because the ideas asserted in the book are mostly not proven analytically with the tools used by a historian or a political scientist. In this respect, I believe the book stands far from being a serious reference for an academic study.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Tries to be objective, but not really,
By
This review is from: Turkey Unveiled (Paperback)
I enjoyed the book as a Turkish person knowing most of the history of the country, however, I thought that the book had major problems:1- If you don't know the basics of the Turkish history in the last 50 years, you'll be lost. Too much detail in politicians and parties. 2- The authors portray that somehow, the founder of The Republic of Turkey, Ataturk, and his ideology is guilty of most of the problems that Turkey has today. That is far, I mean FAR, from the truth. If it was not Ataturk and his comrads, we either would not have existed, or, would have been a neglected colony of the West (since there is no oil in Turkey) like Afghanistan. A compelling majority of Turks today, excluding the islamists who wants to turn the country into an Islamic Theocracy, regard Ataturk as the saviour, and feel indebted for life. 3- The book gives so much sympathy to the Islamists.
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