Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
79 used & new from £0.01
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Janissary Tree ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery)
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

The Janissary Tree ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery) (Paperback)

by Jason Goodwin (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
Price: £5.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.00 (25%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Saturday, July 11? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
36 new from £0.10 41 used from £0.01 2 collectible from £2.49
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover Order it used
Paperback (Open Market Ed) 10 used & new from £2.33
Audio CD (Abridged,Audiobook) £15.99 £15.19 18 used & new from £4.02
Audio CD (Audiobook,CD,Unabridged) £38.49 £38.49 9 used & new from £35.43
Unknown Binding (Unabridged) Order it used

Frequently Bought Together

The Janissary Tree ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery) + The Snake Stone ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery) + The Bellini Card
Price For All Three: £15.57

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Snake Stone ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery)

The Snake Stone ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery)

by Jason Goodwin
3.5 out of 5 stars (13)  £4.79
The Bellini Card

The Bellini Card

by Jason Goodwin
4.2 out of 5 stars (4)  £4.79
Revelation (Shardlake)

Revelation (Shardlake)

by C.J. Sansom
4.4 out of 5 stars (83)  £3.86
Dissolution (Shardlake)

Dissolution (Shardlake)

by C.J. Sansom
4.3 out of 5 stars (98)  £3.99
Sovereign (Shardlake)

Sovereign (Shardlake)

by C.J. Sansom
4.3 out of 5 stars (88)  £3.99
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Faber and Faber; New edition edition (7 Jun 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0571229247
  • ISBN-13: 978-0571229246
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.6 x 2.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 10,419 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Review
"'Everything you could want from a novel.' Kate Mosse, author of Labyrinth"

The Times, June 2 2007
The richly detailed evocation of the period, which gives The
Janissary Tree such an authentic feel, is combined with a playful humour
and a hero unconventional enough to rival Boris Akunin's Erast Fandorin.

See all Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(2)
(2)
(2)
(1)
See all 5 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Janissary Tree ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery)
83% buy the item featured on this page:
The Janissary Tree ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery) 4.0 out of 5 stars (20)
£5.99
The Snake Stone ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery)
6% buy
The Snake Stone ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery) 3.5 out of 5 stars (13)
£4.79
The Bellini Card
6% buy
The Bellini Card 4.2 out of 5 stars (4)
£4.79
Dark Fire (Shardlake)
2% buy
Dark Fire (Shardlake) 4.5 out of 5 stars (65)
£5.11
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

20 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars And let not the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree, 13 Jun 2006
By Leonard Fleisig "Len" (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
This review is from: The Janissary Tree ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery) (Hardcover)
Isaiah 56:3

Investigator Yashim, the hero of Jason Goodwin's first novel, "The Janissary Tree" may be a Turkish eunuch but it is not at all likely that anyone reading this book will think of him as a "dry tree". In fact, if Yashim's steamy encounter with the beautiful but lonely wife of the Russian ambassador to Turkey halfway through the book is any indication, this is one heck of a unique eunuch.

I would love to have been present when Goodwin pitched the idea of a novel (and the first in a proposed series) about a crime-solving eunuch in Istanbul to his agent or publisher. Fortunately, someone had the good sense to green light this project as Goodwin has crafted a highly-entertaining book.

The Janissary Tree is set in Istanbul in 1836. Ten years earlier the Janissaries, the Sultan's version of the Roman Empire's Praetorian Guards, had been crushed by the "New Guard", the Sultan's standing army. Like the Praetorian Guards the Janissaries had evolved from a protective legion to one that terrorized the populace and the Sultan. Now, ten years later, the mysterious disappearance of four members of the New Guard and the murder of one of the Sultan's harem heralds the possible return of the Janissaries. The return of the Janissaries threatens to destroy the Sultanate and the relative calm of Istanbul. Enter Investigator Yashim. He is given ten days to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Yashim is soon engulfed in murder and intrigue. Bodies begin to appear in bizarre places as Yashim and his friends (including a somewhat decadent Polish Ambassador who has no country to represent and a transsexual dancer) try to get to the bottom of this alleged revolt.

Goodwin is very good at keeping the plot boiling (in more ways than one). Goodwin, who studied Byzantine history at Cambridge and who has written books on the history of the Ottoman Empire, has ample knowledge of the time and the place and has put this knowledge to good use. Although I haven't been to Istanbul in almost thirty years, Goodwin seems to convey a real sense of how the city must have looked, felt, and even smelled more than 180 years or so ago.

The Janissary Tree reminded me of Boris Akunin's Erast Fandorin novels (late 19th-century Russia) and Arturo Perez-Reverte's Captain Alatriste stories (17th-century Spain). They all take the standard detective or mystery story and transport the reader to a different time and place. As with both Akunin and Perez-Reverte's novels, Jason Goodwin's "The Janissary Tree" is an entertaining and diverting read.

L. Fleisig
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best novel I have read in years, 29 Jul 2006
By P. Colfox (England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Janissary Tree ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery) (Hardcover)
A gripping and hilarious romp through 19th Century Istanbul. Delicately crafted and exciting yarn, steeped in historical fact, beautiful descriptions of cooking that make you hungry; tasteful and amusing situations pile one on top of the other as delicately the plot builds up to a crashing crescendo. An excellent novel in the best tradition of English literature; full of interesting facts and delightful situations. I have bought five copies to give to my children's teachers!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant intrigue - fantastic backdrop, 27 Jun 2006
By Joyce Twine (West Sussex) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Janissary Tree ('Yashim the Eunuch' Mystery) (Hardcover)
I loved Jason Goodwin's The Janissary Tree because it is a genuine, classical detective story, but set in an extraordinarily well-researched and depicted 1830s Istanbul. The backdrop - both physical and historical - is crucial to the intrigue, playing a full part in the action. The characters - especially Yashim the eunuch and the Polish ambassador - are sympathetic. The final pages contain two beautifully revealed twists.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A witty Ottaman 'who dunnit?'
Used to read a fair bit of detective fiction (mainly Rankin) and I thought this would nicely combine the mystery and historical genre's, and to a very large degree it did... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. A. I. Harrison

3.0 out of 5 stars nearly but not quite
i am a huge fan of books about the ottoman empire and i also love crime fiction and so i thought this novel would be an instant classic to me, while i instantly loved the... Read more
Published 8 months ago by J. Pickles

3.0 out of 5 stars Assumes you have a great deal of background knowledge
Yashim the Eunuch is called in the help investigate the murder of a young concubine in the Sultan's harem and also the assumed abduction of four young cadets from the New Guard... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Snapdragon

2.0 out of 5 stars Somehow doesn't quite hit the mark
Much like some of your other recent reviewers, I was expecting to really enjoy this book but it was just so slow. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Lynda Rothbarth

5.0 out of 5 stars Turkish Delight
Let me start by saying this is a jolly good read - and a great book to take on holiday to a Turkish beach, especially if you are off on a trip to Istanbul as part of your visit... Read more
Published 22 months ago by A.K.Farrar

3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant but too slow paced
The story is slightly too convoluted for me, with a lot of political implications. The athmospheres of 19th century Istambul are fascinating, as is the central charachter, Yashim,... Read more
Published 23 months ago by F. S. Carr

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice travelogue, poorly developed characters.
If you love Istanbul, you'll enjoy the deft way the author weaves in the many memorable and meaningful sights, sounds, and smells of the city in to this second-rate mystery. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Dr. Theodore Bililies

2.0 out of 5 stars just couldnt get into this...
Just couldnt get into this. On paper, in theory, it has all the things I love, but I just couldnt get into it. Read more
Published 23 months ago by nerosmaster

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good but references are confusing
As a Turk who has lived in Istanbul for many years, I found this book intriguing, as well as true to the spirit and mood of of the city as well as us Turks as a nation. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Zeynep CB

5.0 out of 5 stars I want Footnotes!
It's increasingly rare to accidentaly (through the amazon reccomendations system) to suddenly discover a new author and fall in love with a new series. Read more
Published on 3 Jul 2007 by Miran Ali

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

The Ottoman Centuries: The Rise...

The Ottoman Centuries...

Presents the complete account of one of the greatest imperial powers... Read more
£22.99

›Find similar items

 

More From Jason Goodwin

The Bellini Card

The Bellini Card by Jason Goodwin

Jason Goodwin’s series featuring his Ottoman detective Yashmin has... Read more
£7.99 £4.79

 

Up to 53% off Braun Series Shavers

Braun Series 3 390cc Clean & Renew System Rechargeable Foil Electric Shaver
Get in touch with your smooth side with Braun Series shavers, now with Gillette blade technology.

›Discover Braun Series at Amazon.co.uk

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (72)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (458)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (162)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (80)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates