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Ottoman Odyssey Hardcover – October 4, 2018

by Alev Scott (Author)

4.3 113 ratings

Alev Scott's odyssey began when she looked beyond Turkey's borders for contemporary traces of the Ottoman Empire. Their 800-year rule ended a century ago - and yet, travelling through twelve countries from Kosovo to Greece to Palestine, she uncovers a legacy that's vital and relevant; where medieval ethnic diversity meets 21st century nationalism, and displaced people seek new identities.

It's a story of surprises. An acolyte of Erdogan in Christian-majority Serbia confirms the wide-reaching appeal of his authoritarian leadership. A Druze warlord explains the secretive religious faction in the heart of the Middle East. The palimpsest-like streets of Jerusalem's Old Town hint at the Ottoman co-existence of Muslims and Jews. And in Turkish Cyprus Alev Scott rediscovers a childhood home. In every community, history is present as a dynamic force.

Faced by questions of exile, diaspora and collective memory, Alev Scott searches for answers from the cafes of Beirut to the refugee camps of Lesbos. She uncovers in Erdogan's nouveau-Ottoman Turkey a version of the nostalgic utopias sold to disillusioned voters in Europe and the U.S. And yet - as she relates with compassion, insight and humour - diversity is the enduring, endangered heart of this fascinating region.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

riverrun
Publication date

October 4, 2018
Dimensions

6.46 x 1.34 x 9.45 inches
ISBN-10

1784293210
ISBN-13

978-1784293215
See all details

Diana Darke
39
Hardcover
37 offers from $22.00

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ riverrun (October 4, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1784293210
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1784293215
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.19 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.46 x 1.34 x 9.45 inches

Customer Reviews:
4.3 113 ratings

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4.3 out of 5

113 global ratings

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H. B. P.

A very keen and thoughtful study of people's reaction to trauma and change

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2020

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This book is a gem written by a young woman whose depth and wisdom far surpass her age. As she travels through many parts of the Ottoman Empire that disappeared in the ruins of World War I, she finds evidence of the continuing presence of the culture, language and traditions that defined a lively community for over 500 years. She also discovers that nation states that replaced the empire by separating people into ethnic enclaves have not made them more secure or happy. Many of these people look back to their ancestors with a sense of awe and wonder and dream about life under an empire that allowed so many diverse people to coexist in peace and harmony.

4 people found this helpful

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Hande Z

Nostalgia in many forms

Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2019

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Another reviewer criticised this book for a couple of historical inaccuracies. And although the author states blandly (page 120) that she did research for the book (as she should), the inaccuracies do not detract from the otherwise well-written and, more importantly, interesting book if one is interested in the Ottoman empire that straddles not just Turkey but eastwards and west.

Many former Ottoman cities outside Turkey remain an attraction to the Turkey. 'Much more than Mostar, Sarajevo's Old Town is a little Turkey, at least in the heady months of summer. On every street in the Old City, I could hear the Turkish spoken by tourists flown in from Istanbul by the national carrier airline on heavily subsidized flights' (page 139)

This book, on the whole, is a combination of a travelogue, biography, and history, and it is this lovely mix, written by a writer who has a deep personal longing to understand the heritage of her past and that of her Turkish roots.

10 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Great example of travel journal from Turkish writer

Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2019

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Excellent first person account of the territories of the Ottoman empire outside of modern Turkey. Author was barred from Turkey so used her journalistic skill to examine remnants of Turkish populations and cultures ofmthe former empire. Enjoyed for surprising and freq sad/hopeful collection of small stories.

3 people found this helpful

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Cascade

Far-reaching as the Ottoman Empire

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2020

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I liked everything about Alev Scott's book--the tone, the scope, the details, the prose, what I learned. (This is vague, I know, but the book is not!)

One person found this helpful

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Zak Van Straaten

The consequences of Empire, with wit & mindfulness.

Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2019

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Marvellous travels & insightful commentary through the outcomes of Ottoman Empire. Alev Scott writes in lively, thoughtful, fashion.

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2019

It's obvious the author knows a lot about her chosen topic and has done plenty of research. However, the flood of information, names, locations (in English, Turkish, Greek, etc.) is completely overwhelming for the reader. This reader has some familiarity with Ottoman history but was still overwhelmed by the avalanche of details. Rather than providing just one relatively difficult to decipher map, consideration should be given to providing maps for individual chapters so that it's easier to follow where we were, where we're going and what's being talked about. A chronology of Ottoman history would also be enormously helpful. I, quite frankly, gave up on the book about 2/3 in. I simply lost track of everything. YMMV! (I borrowed my copy from the local library)

4 people found this helpful

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whj

diaspora in soul and body

Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2020

The ethnic minorities in the era of post empire, and the political atmosphere of nationalism created tragedies of diaspora in many forms. The author's travels through the cities, understanding, recording people's (and her own)takes on the history and the current state bring a wide spectrum of emotions--nostalgia, resentment, sadness, bitterness and cynicism. The book contrasts nationalist ethnic politics--population exchange and massacre - against individual, human relationships through sharing language and history of families and neighbors. The visual effect of the author, looking over her "homeland", so close but not able to enter, and her grandmother, a Cypriot, who can only have peace in London, reflect so many people suffering the same predicaments.

One person found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Fell Short of Expectations

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2020

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I really wanted to like this book. And overall, I enjoyed the idea of it but the author's language and voice often rubbed me the wrong way. I found her at times judgmental and condescending --describing a Roma child as "grubby" or describing the religious atmosphere in Jerusalem as "perverse." When discussing the Armenian genocide, at times I found her to be weirdly defensive. And when discussing the history of Afro-Turks, the author uses the terminology "slave" instead of "enslaved," which is a small but important distinction.

This book is also only a travel memoir in the sense that she is traveling through former Ottoman territories but it's much more about the socio-political histories of the various regions than her own experiences. The history she details is interesting but it's not a very personal travel memoir if that's what you're looking for.

4 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Kieran Bufield

A very interesting read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 7, 2023

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Another great book, an excellent & interesting read.

Jerry Tutunjian

While the subject matter is widely known, the author digs up new facts and adds new insights.

Reviewed in Canada on January 21, 2019

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I liked the honesty and the accuracy of the book. I also appreciated the way the author balanced facts and emotions. Another plus was the originality of the approach.

BAZZ

VERY WELL WORTH READING

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 1, 2020

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The book is written by a half Turkish half English young lady, clearly looking for her own identity through her very beautifully and knowledgably documented travels to the four corners of the now gone Ottoman Empire, that in fact
still exists, through the Turkish language still spoken and used in daily life in Greece, Romania, Lebanon, Israel, Armenia, Syria, and other parts of the old Ottoman Empire. It is written with love and humour and compassion.
Very well worth reading if the reader is from any of the countries that once belonged to the rich and benevolent Empire.

4 people found this helpful

JOHN FOWLER

V.G.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 9, 2021

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V.G.

E. Leboeuf

Good book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 29, 2020

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