Suleiman the Magnificent [Paperback]

This is a popular historical introduction to the greatest of all Turkish leaders, Suleiman, called magnificent by his European adversaries. During his reign, not only did the Ottoman Empire reach its greatest territorial extent and richness, but he also sowed the seeds of its subsequent decline over the next 300 years. While he ruled, many feared that he would conquer a squabbling and fractured Western Europe (with the Reformation wars), that his unequalled military machine was unstoppable.

Suleiman inherited and refined a military state that was greater than any since the Roman Empire of the West. It was a meritocracy based on a kind of temporary aristocracy that was granted domains in exchange for military service as cavalry when needed; their position was non-inheritable and based exclusively on service, so easily revoked. The Ottoman state also systematically searched for talent, often non-Muslim in origin, for absorption and education to serve the Empire as administrators or the elite fighting force, the Janissaries. Together with occasional fighters of the lower classes, they formed the most disciplined military force in existence; they also had cutting-edge military technology, especially ordinance, but soon ships.

At the start of his reign, the Empire was poised for a major expansion on 4 fronts: into Central Europe, Northern Africa/Arabia, Persia, and the Mediterranean (as the world's greatest naval power). For many years, it appeared that Suleiman would win on all fronts as victory followed victory. With each new territory came extraordinary riches, so that his treasury was full to overflowing. However, by overextending his forces, the Empire reached a point of natural maximum expansion. That was the beginning of the decline: without new territories from which to extract resources, local potentates had to raise taxes within the Empire's borders.

In addition, there was a problem of succession, with several competent heirs executed (justly or unjustly, it is impossible to know) so that Selim the Sot was the only one left to take over, at a time when dynamic leadership was required to transform the Empire fundamentally. Suleiman also brought the Harem permanently into the palace, due to his attachment to Roxeline, which brought intrigues to the center of the government, with catastrophic consequences for the delicate balances of competent provincial administrators and fair treatment of subjects. Finally, the system of temporary aristocracy became hereditary, based on privilege rather than military merit.

This eventually led to legendary corruption and slow disintegration right at the moment that Western Europe was modernizing its technologies of transport (with the oceans rather than the Mediterranean as their trade routes), its military science, and the creation of a new dynamism in its economies (with trade surpluses to invest) that developed later into industrial capitalism based on the mobilization of entire nations and with investments financed by foreign exchange. Turkey was left behind by all these developments, to become the "sick man" of Europe when all the systems that had once worked so well became deadly liabilities.

Unfortunately, the reader does not get much of feel for Suleiman as a person, except for his domination by Roxeline and his modesty as reflected in his poetry. Moreover, the book is a popularization that is based almost entirely on secondary sources - Clot breaks no new ground and offers very few primary-source quotes to flavor his story. Finally, the footnotes are rare and uninteresting, which for me means that the book is not at all intended for scholars (not that I am one, but footnotes offer certain pleasures that I missed).

In spite of these criticisms, this book is a very good read. I finished it wanting to learn more about the period, always the best sign of success for me. Indeed, understanding Suleiman is key to understanding the development of European modernism after the Renaissance; his threat may have enabled the Protestant states to establish themselves as viable political entities. Recommended.

By nearly every measure, the sixteenth century bore witness to a remarkable number of extraordinary monarchs. Rulers such as Henry VIII and Elizabeth I of England, Francis I of France, the Habsburg emperors Charles V and Philip II, Ivan IV of Russia, `Abbas I of Persia, and the Mughal emperor Akbar reshaped their realms through their ambitious policies and forceful rule. Yet even in this august group the name of Suleiman stands out. As sultan of the Ottomans, Suleiman led the empire during what is generally regarded as the pinnacle of its glory and power. Under his rule the empire flourished and extended its control over three continents. Yet in spite of this Suleiman has received far less attention form biographers than most of his contemporaries, present more often as an opponent or an ally in many accounts than as a figure worth of attention in his own right.

Given this, Andre Clot's biography of the sultan is to be welcomed. A longtime journalist, Clot divides his book into two parts. The first is a straightforward narrative of Suleiman's life that addresses on the political and military aspects of his reign. This section focuses heavily on Suleiman's interactions with Christian Europe, even to the point of having an entire chapter addressing the sultan's relations with Francis I. The second part of the book is an examination of the Ottoman empire during Suleiman's reign, one that describes the economy, urban life, and culture that existed during his reign. Though the two sections compliment each other, each part stands alone to the point of being able to be read separate from the other, a lack of integration that ultimately weakens the effort to present a rounded overall picture of Suleiman and his times.

In the end, the focus and structure of the book prevent it from achieving Clot's stated goal of providing a fuller understanding of Suleiman and his empire. The Eurocentrism of Clot's narrative slights the considerable campaigns Suleiman conducted on his eastern borders against the Safavids, to say nothing of his considerable contributions to the empire's internal development in such areas as the law. Mixing the two sections might have counterbalanced this, but their separation inhibits an easy understanding of his role and impact within the broader empire. These problems limit the usefulness of Clot's book, which is recommended for anyone seeking to learn about the sultan only because of the disappointing lack of anything better.

Andre Colt is type of writer that takes you to the middle action and life of the people he writes about. His style is very easy to read, and almost like telling stories. I enjoyed reading this book. He covers the whole life of Soliman from his birth to his death. The book also includes description of the Ottoman civilization. This is a good book if you want to read some thing easy to read, and basic about Soliman and the Ottoman history. However if you are familiar with the Ottoman history this book is not for you.