Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2016 -

This unique volume, edited by Isom-Verhaaren (Brigham Young Univ.;Allies with the Infidel,2011) and Schull (Binghamton Univ.;Prisons in the Late Ottoman Empire,2014) stands out from the many other assembled volumes on the Ottoman Empire due to the focused and coherent picture of the empire it presents. The volume opens by questioning what it means to be Ottoman, and the following 22 contributions demonstrate the dynamism of Ottoman identity and the diversity that existed within the daily realities of living in the Ottoman realm. The contributions, grouped into chronological sections, cover the entire geographic expanse of the empire. Each section opens with a concise but helpful historical overview of the period. This background information, together with the carefully written articles in which terms and individuals are all defined and introduced, makes this volume accessible to those with even a basic knowledge of the empire. Brief lists of further suggested readings attached to each contribution make this an excellent companion volume in undergraduate classes. Despite the emphasis on accessibility, the work contains research of value to specialists by both well-established and young scholars.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic levels/libraries.