The Ottomans

Khans, Caesars, and Caliphs

By: Marc David Baer

Narrated by: Jamie Parker

This major new history of the Ottoman dynasty reveals a diverse empire that straddled East and West.

The Ottoman Empire has long been depicted as the Islamic, Asian antithesis of the Christian, European West. But the reality was starkly different: the Ottomans’ multiethnic, multilingual, and multireligious domain reached deep into Europe’s heart. Indeed, the Ottoman rulers saw themselves as the new Romans. Recounting the Ottomans’ remarkable rise from a frontier principality to a world empire, historian Marc David Baer traces their debts to their Turkish, Mongolian, Islamic, and Byzantine heritage. The Ottomans pioneered religious toleration even as they used religious conversion to integrate conquered peoples. But in the nineteenth century, they embraced exclusivity, leading to ethnic cleansing, genocide, and the empire’s demise after the First World War. 

The Ottomans vividly reveals the dynasty’s full history and its enduring impact on Europe and the world.

Critic reviews

“A book as sweeping, colorful, and rich in extraordinary characters as the empire which it describes.”—Tom Holland, author of Dominion

“A compellingly readable account of one of the great world empires from its origins in thirteenth century to modern times. Drawing on contemporary Turkish and European sources, Marc David Baer situates the Ottomans squarely at the overlap of European and Middle Eastern history. Blending the sacred and the profane, the social and the political, the sublime and the absurd, Baer brings his subject to life in rich vignettes. An outstanding book.”—Eugene Rogan, author of The Fall of the Ottomans

“Marc David Baer’s colorful, readable book is informed by all the newest research on his massive subject. In showing how an epic of universal empire, conquest and toleration turned into the drama of nationalism, crisis, and genocide, he gives us not only an expansive history of the Ottomans, but an expanded history of Europe.”—James McDougall, University of Oxford

“Marc David Baer’s The Ottomans is a scintillating and brilliantly panoramic account of the history of the Ottoman empire, from its genesis to its dissolution. Baer provides a clear and engaging account of the dynastic and high politics of the empire, whilst also surveying the Ottoman world’s social, cultural, intellectual and economic development. What emerges is an Ottoman Empire that was a direct product of and an active participant in both European and global history. It challenges and transforms how we think of ‘East’ and ‘West,’ ‘Enlightenment,’ and ‘modernity,’ and directly confronts the horrors as well as the achievements of Ottoman rule.”
—Peter Sarris, University of Cambridge

Excellent

Not a lot to say except excellent. It was through yet not exhaustively detailed. It was a 10/10

Very thorough coverage

Well delivered and entertaining, this audio book did a great job of articulating a very complex history of the Ottoman Empire from beginning to end.

Excellent writing an narrative

Excellent writing an narrative a must for Western educated people like myself. Interesting and expanding horizons

Insightful - Asking and Answering Hard Questions

This book really bridges the gap between my understanding of the “ancient eastern” world and the modern world. In understanding the Ottomans, I feel like I finally understand the bridge between ancient history and today. European history makes a lot more sense when it includes the Ottomans.

Excellent read!

One of the book’s strongest aspects is its emphasis on the empire’s diversity and adaptability. Baer challenges Eurocentric narratives by highlighting the Ottomans’ roles as bridge-builders between East and West, and between Islamic and Christian worlds. His portrayal of sultans not merely as warriors, but as patrons of culture, reformers, and global influencers, offers a refreshing perspective.

Overall, The Ottomans is a powerful reminder that history is not just about conquest, but about coexistence, transformation, and identity. A must-read for anyone interested in global history, empire dynamics, or the roots of modern Turkey and the Middle East.