The Bottom Line
Covering everything in the social and economic spheres - including trade, population, transport and property rights - this unrivalled study is wholly excellent, albeit highly specialised.
Pros
- Highly detailed and wholly devoted.
- The two-volume edition has extra apparatus.
- Written by the world authorities.
Cons
- Not for the casual reader!
- Dry and serious tone
Description
- Volume One 1300 - 1600 edited by Halil Inalcik. 409 pages including chronology, maps, tables, glossary, further reading list.
- Volume Two 1600 - 1914 edited by Halil Inalcik and Donald Quataert. 597 pages, additional content as above.
- Published by Cambridge University Press, ISBN: Vol. 1: 0521574560, Vol 2: 0521574552
Guide Review - An Economic and Social History of the Ottoman Empire: Volumes 1 and 2
Originally published as a massive 1000 page tome, An Economic and Social History of the Ottoman Empire is now available as two volumes with additional maps and charts, enabling poorer students to select the era closest to their chosen period. Written by five of the world's experts, this text has received massive acclaim - usually for being a 'landmark study' - and it's easy to see why: meticulously researched detail, rich depth and clear presentation. Indeed, perhaps the greatest complaint I can make is the use of endnotes instead of footnotes! Anyone is who is even semi-serious about studying or working in the realm of Ottoman or Balkan history will need to read at least one volume. Of course, those looking for a general history should look elsewhere, but this is a triumph.
