The Ottoman Empire cover art

The Ottoman Empire

Preview

Try for $0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Ottoman Empire

Written by: Kenneth W. Harl, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Kenneth W. Harl
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $55.98

Buy Now for $55.98

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

By understanding the dramatic story of the Ottoman Empire - from its early years as a collection of raiders and conquerors to its undeniable power in the 15th and 16th centuries to its catastrophic collapse in the wreckage of the First World War - one can better grasp the current complexities of the Middle East.

Over the course of these 36 enlightening lectures, investigate over 600 years of history that covers the nature of Ottoman identity, the achievements of the Sultan's court, and stories of confrontation and cooperation with the West.

Befitting a story of such epic scope and grandeur, every lecture is a treasure trove of historical insights into the people, events, themes, and locales responsible for shaping the story of this often-overlooked empire. You'll cover everything from Rumi, the whirling dervishes, and the importance of the sultan's grand viziers to the wars of Sultan Suleiman I, the shadowy politics of the Committee of Union and Progress, and the birth of the Turkish Republic under Kemal Atatürk.

Welcome to a fascinating story of the triumph and tragedy, war and peace, intellectual progress and civil insurrection of a great empire that, for all its glory and grandeur, has left an important legacy that will shape the future of the Balkan nation-states, the Turkish Republic, and the Arab world - and those of us in the West as well.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2017 The Great Courses
World Ottoman History
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about The Ottoman Empire

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    44
  • 4 Stars
    16
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    35
  • 4 Stars
    14
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    41
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Fair History of the 500 year Ottoman Empire

As a Westerner I am trying to get a greater understanding of Islam history and culture. I knew very little about the Ottoman Empire. I learned a lot about the Empire and Islam but as a 'bonus' I also learned a lot about the Balkins, Austria- Hungarian Empire, Egypt , Greece, Armenia,Iran, Greek Orthodox Church, Russia, and modern day Turkey.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

excellent overview, balanced, accurate, engaging.

I found the lectures provided a complete overview, the presenter was articulate and engaging, and I learned a lot. easy to follow. Recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Terrific!

Really amazing story of a historical period with lots of lasting consequences to date. Kenneth Harl's mastery of the concepts, even those deep within the Islamic and Turkish traditions is really superb. And his narration brings everything to life as if you are watching a great series. I really enjoyed this and I'm kind of sad it's finished!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent series, good speaker

Professor Harl is a knowledgeable individual with unique insight, but his over-use of 'umm' and 'uh' was a little distracting. Overall an excellent and engaging series, I would recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good overview of the Ottoman Empire but somewhat biased

Overall excellent, but there are 2 issues that keep it from that mark.
1. The narrator does not pronounce a lot of things like everyone else. For example: Allies (Britain and France were allies in WWII) he pronounces (a lies) with emphasis on lies and it changes. Many more examples.
2. He’s a bit of an Ottoman fanboy and I see a strong ‘pro Ottoman’ bias. Slavery was a huge part of the Ottoman Empire for centuries. The Ottomans compete to be the number 1 slave nation in history. Families were broken with no consideration, forced contribution of children to the Janissary Corp. Never to be seen again by the family.
He treats the Millets like it was done as a favour for the ethnic religious groups when it was simply the most efficient way to get result from non-Muslim populations. That being said it’s still very good and worth listening too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great material but terrible speaker.

Holy smokes! This is the second time I’ve listen to one of Dr Harl’s courses and, while what he says is interesting, the way he says it is quite off-putting. His pronunciation—regional preferences, I guess—is distracting; his grammar is questionable; and he “hums” and “uhs” at record levels. It’s really too bad. I love the material but it really is a challenge to get through the narration. I will persevere, but if this kind of thing bothers you, be warned.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

why in such a rush

The book is so rushed it sounds like he is in a race. The book will at times cover 200 years of history in 10 minutes. content is great, just wish it was more indepth

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A good listen 👍

Great speaker. Enjoyed his delivery. Interesting lectures.
I’ve gone through several of his courses on Audible.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating

This is a fascinating and thorough overview of the Ottoman Empire. If you are interested in the history of the region and how hit has shaped the current state, this is highly recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Well presented and very informative, I must say.

Well presented and very informative, I must say. The pace of the narator was also perfec

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!