A social history of Ottoman Istanbul /

Boyar (Middle East Technical Univ., Turkey; Ottomans, Turks and the Balkans, 2007) and Fleet (Cambridge, The Cambridge History of Turkey, vol. 1, CH, May'10, 47-5201) have produced an excellent study of Ottoman Istanbul. As the title indicates, this volume is a social history, leaving aside the city's well-documented political history. Written in flowing prose, the book brings this cosmopolitan capital to life by vividly describing many aspects of everyday life from shopping to bathing. The authors rely mainly on Ottoman chronicles and European travelers' accounts to tell the tales of Istanbul. In addition to the expected depiction of the wealth and grandeur of the imperial city, the authors do not neglect the darker side of living in such a large city. Boyar and Fleet include accounts of the devastating fires and diseases that ravaged the city over the centuries. This work gives students the opportunity to see Istanbul as a living city and place it in the larger framework of other imperial capitals. However, the book would have benefited from a chapter dedicated to the city's religious and ethnic diversity. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. R. W. Zens Le Moyne College