The Edinburgh history of the Greeks, 1453 to 1774 : the Ottoman Empire /

This innovative, fact-filled volume in the ten-volume Edinburgh History of the Greeks surveys in depth the period from the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople to the eve of Greek independence. Greene (Princeton) treats the vicissitudes of the Greeks (not Greece!) throughout their provinces, both urban and agricultural, as well as the complicated story of the capital, the Orthodox churches in the Balkans, and the evolution of the patriarchate. The complicated question of who is a Greek is one core theme of the book as are the relationship of the Orthodox Church to Muslims and Catholics and the varying attitudes of the all-powerful sultan. A second theme is the Byzantine legacy and what it means to be a Roman, a Greek, and Orthodox. A third is the changing character of the vast empire through these centuries, the impact of conversions on the populations and their demography, and the impact of the western Catholic nations and the role of the Greek merchants and intellectuals in central Europe and Italy. Greene surveys the economy of the towns, plains, and mountains and includes an incisive critique of Greek and Turkish historiography. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. --Steven Bowman, University of Cincinnati