Sultans

A history spanning 600 years--an epic story of a dynasty that started as a small group of cavalry mercenaries to become the absolute rulers of the greatest and longest-lasting Islamic empire. Jem Duducu charts the rise and fall of the dynasty, from the forgotten Sultan Murad IV who led soldiers into battle, captured Baghdad and banned alcohol but died young from drink, to the most famous rulers such as Suleiman the Magnificent. Focusing on the lives and achievements of the Sultans themselves, this history mixes court intrigue, wars and plotting against a backdrop of growing power and wealth.

It describes the strong trade alliances the empire had with Elizabeth I, and demystifies the Sultan's harem. The account includes worldchanging events such as the fall of Constantinople. In modern times it traces the outbreak of war in 1914 as the Ottoman hold on power fractured, and describes the