Peerless among Princes: The Life and Times of Sultan Süleyman
by Kaya Şahin
A new biography of Süleyman (often called ‘the Magnificent’ in the West, but not in this book), the Ottoman sultan who ruled from 1520 to 1566. He was one of the most powerful men in the world but to the modern reader, his life seems utterly tragic. The book is by Kaya Şahin, a historian at Indiana University, who is able to bring his knowledge of Turkish sources to the story. Another aim of the book is “to restore Süleyman’s place among the major figures of the sixteenth century”—which also included Henry VIII, Charles V and Francis I (Europe), Ivan IV (Russia), Babur and Akbar (India), Shah Ismail and Shah Tahmasb (Iran).
Our most recommended books
-
Going to Church in Medieval England
by Nicholas Orme -
God: An Anatomy
by Francesca Stavrakopoulou -
Fallen Idols: Twelve Statues That Made History
by Alex von Tunzelmann -
The Ottomans: Khans, Caesars and Caliphs
by Marc David Baer -
The Ruin of All Witches: Life and Death in the New World
by Malcolm Gaskill -
Devil-Land: England Under Siege, 1588-1688
by Clare Jackson