Сто лет назад заканчивалась не только Российская империя, сто лет назад корчились в агонии и ее враги, не намного в итоге ее пережившие. Османская империя не хотела вступать в Первую мировую войну – все предыдущие пятьдесят лет она и так постоянно терпела поражения, теряя территории то на Балканах, то на Кавказе, то в Африке. И тем не менее, пришлось, позже всех из крупных европейских держав и благодаря провокации Германии – немецкий капитан турецкого корабля обстрелял укрепления русского Крыма. Обладавшая самой скромной армией (в 5 раз меньшей русской и в 3 французской), империя вопреки ожиданиям врагов продержалась почти до конца.

История участия Турции в этой войне у нас известна мало, куда больше мы наслышаны о борьбе с Австро-Венгрией (Брусиловский прорыв и байки Швейка). Тем не менее, столкновения с Россией были весьма интенсивны – белогвардейский генерал Юденич, например, снискал славу именно разгромив турок на Кавказе, а из Ирана наши войска устремлялись прямо на...Багдад! Диверсии Лоуренса Аравийского, истребление армян, годичная оборона подступов к Стамбулу от десанта Черчилля и захват англичанами Иерусалима после почти семисот лет мусульманского владычества, – сюжетов конец империи подарил на десятки фильмов, а продолжающиеся все XX-XXI века проблемы на Ближнем Востоке – прямое следствие победы союзников над султаном.

Góð yfirlitssaga yfir líf og aðstæður í veldi Ottomana fyrir Fyrri heimsstyrjöld og á meðan á henni stóð. Vel þess virði að lesa. ( )

As others have commented, it is beautifully done this book.

Maybe because it was so measured, it didn't really blow-my-socks-off, so would have been 4 stars, but the polish ....

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Before reading this history about the World war one and the Ottoman Empire I already had some knowledge from such books as [b:Shadow of the Sultan's Realm: The Destruction of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East|8514635|Shadow of the Sultan's Realm The Destruction of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East|Daniel Allen Butler|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1421140137s/8514635.jpg|13381144] and [b:The Ottoman Endgame: War, Revolution, and the Making of the Modern Middle East, 1908 - 1923|24611604|The Ottoman Endgame War, Revolution, and the Making of the Modern Middle East, 1908 - 1923|Sean McMeekin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1427835881s/24611604.jpg|44222766]. This book is more academic, with a bit less flourish. While the author tries to give all points of view, European sources dominate, as in most other books. The main topics covered:
• Pre-war situation, CUP, triumvirate
• German cruisers as start of the war
• Jihad
• Gallipoli
• Kut siege and saving attempts
• Armenian genocide
• Arab revolt
• Aftermath
A good overview book, not outstanding but quite solid starter for anyone interested
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This is one of those history books that shouldn't be missed by anyone interested in understanding the Middle East today. My knowledge of WW1 was very limited when I opened the Introduction--some stories I had been able to pry out of my American grandfather who served in Europe 1917-1918 and told me of how they scavenged for insects and worms when they ran out of food in the fields of France, Lawrence of Arabia's [b:Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph|57936|Seven Pillars of Wisdom A Triumph (The Authorized Doubleday/Doran Edition)|T.E. Lawrence|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1393786656s/57936.jpg|56441] read in college, and a few concluding chapters in histories of the Middle East. But an insufficient background didn't hinder me in any way from being totally caught up in the spell-binding story author Rogan tells.

Other reviewers have covered the basic storyline so let me explain why this book is so outstanding: Rogan has not only made the history and key players easy to remember and follow, but through inserting short synopses and summaries along the way, ensures that no reader is left behind. Virtually every chapter opens, and ends, with a brief (2-3 paragraphs) summary that catches one up to date with what has happened, and reviews (most importantly) why it happened. It is as if his intent is that no one should read this book without really understanding what happened, what went right, what failed, and why. You read a difficult chapter and just when your mind begins to stray - a little summary appears explaining in a few sentences why the events just described happened, why they were important, and what they portend for the future. It is as if he needs us to understand.

Rogan narrates not only battle plans and statistics as recorded in official war records but also opens the pages of diaries and letters sent home from the front from its many combatants. No major story goes untold -- the Armenian massacres, the rise of Ataturk, the Ottoman triumph at Gallipoli, the Arab revolt, the enigmatic character of T. E. Lawrence, the horrors of the battlefield, the negotiations, the betrayals.

Early reviewers described this book as "thrilling, superb and colourful." I couldn't agree more. If you want to understand why the world is as it is today, find yourself a historical map of the Middle East and read this book.

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