This book provides an introductory survey of Ottoman history from earliest times to the end of the Empire, written with full scholarly authority for students and non-specialists. Though it offers a broad account of events, it is not primarily a political narrative of the Ottoman territories: instead, it investigates the world of the Ottoman Turks themselves, exploring their political, social and economic systems, and examining the lives and customs of ordinary people as well as the ruling elite. Vividly illustrated, and with many maps.