Sons of the Conquerors: The Rise of the Turkic World

Book Description

In his major new work, Wall Street Journal Istanbul correspondant Hugh Pope provides a vivid picture of the Turkic people, descendants of the nomadic armies that conquered the Byzantine Empire and reigned over the region for centures. Today the Turks encompass a region much larger than the political boundaries of the nation of Turkey - from the Xinjiang province of western China, to Iran, Iraq, the Netherlands, Germany, all the way to the Appalacian Mountains of the United States. One of the world's foremost experts on modern Turkey - its languages, people, and history - and acclaimed co-author of Turkey Unveiled (a New York Times Notable Book), Hugh Pope has traveled the world to encounter and assimilate the many facets of this extraordinarily complex and fascinating ethnic group, distilling the essentail qualities shared by all people of Turkish descent. Rich with stories and legends stretching back centuries, Sons of the Conquerors is a compellingly readable account of a profoundly neglected subject.

Customer Reviews:

For Those Who Know Nothing About the Turkic World.......2007-10-05

Hugh Pope's "Sons of the Conquerors" is a good book for those who know nothing about the Turkic world and who are interested to learn more. Appearing heavy at just short of 400 pages, this is not heavy academics. Pope writes as a journalist, keeping the reading light and the chapters short. This is a book that can be read on the subway or on a lunch break.

The subjects are fascinating: The Turks of modern Turkey, four of the five "Stans" (Tajiks excluded, as they are closer to Persians), and a few lesser-known Turkic peoples like the Uyghurs of China and the Karakalpaks of western Uzbekistan. Mr. Pope is a journalist and not a historian, so the book is collection of personal observations and experiences (some less memorable than others) taken over a period of ten-odd years, from the last years of the USSR to the first years of the post 9-11 world. Educators might use the book as a companion to more academic work or as further reading.

The biggest flaw, or flaws, of the book is the editing. Misspelled words, awkward sentences missing words, and a few mistakes (the Appalachians are in the eastern U.S., not the west) make for a poor showing on the editor's part. These frequent errors give the work an impression it was rushed to print; in this age of Wikipedia and Spellcheck such petty mistakes are really quite inexcusable.

Nevertheless "Sons of the Conquerors" was an enjoyable and fascinating read.

Good observation by Pope.......2007-05-13

I recommend this book to all people living in Turkey and other Turkic states. May be we can realize where we are, why we are back. This book must be translated to Turkish and other languages of other Turkic states as soon as possible so that it can reach more and more. Hugh Pope criticizes us better than us. He understands better what is going on since he looks at the events from outside. I look forward to his new book.

Well-written, but missing that final zing.......2006-11-19

Hugh Pope's "Sons of the Conquerors" is an interesting read - particularly for those interested in the Turkic world or those interested in literature about far-flung places (how many people do you know who've been to Xinjiang, for example?). "The Turkic World", for those who are unfamiliar with the term, is the part of the world inhabited by Turkic peoples - a belt stretching roughly from western China to the Balkans and including, as well as the Turks of Turkey, the Azeris, Kazakhs, Turkmens and Uighurs among others.

Pope, a journalist based in Istanbul, professes at the outset to have had little knowledge of the broader Turkic world until being told to cover a demonstration by Uighurs in China. As the Soviet Union collapsed, however, he found himself well-placed to investigate some of the newly-independent states of Central Asia, most of which are Turkic-majority.
What follows, then, is a series of travelogue-style pieces as Pope traverses this under-analysed part of the world. He wanders through bazaars in western China, meets with the President of Kazakhstan, crosses the Caspian Sea, interviews refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh and even gets to talk to some Bulgarian Turks thinking about returning to the motherland.

Entertaining and informative as all of this is (English-language books on any aspect of Central Asia still being a developing market), Pope's analyses frequently lack context. His discussions of the Turkmen and Kazakh leaders seem to fall too easily into the standard lines (the former is a dictator, but an amusing one, the latter could do with being more democratic but seems a nice guy). Admittedly, in this part of the world, it doesn't pay to be too critical of one's hosts, particularly not if one intends to return later on for more journalistic coverage, but as a historian of the Turks, I found this wanting a bit.
Equally concerning were Pope's frequent plunges into the local languages. While his puzzling rendering of "Xankandi" in Azerbaijan as "Hankenty" is perhaps excusable due to the orthographical reforms taking place at the time, there is a description of a Turkmen contact's language as evoking the dustiness and furtiveness of Turkmen historical existence which is patently ridiculous. While this is the only occasion on which Pope makes such comments openly, one wonders idly how many times such essentialist thinking influenced his views of the situation.
As a third consideration, Pope gives undue weight to some groups of Turks while giving others short shrift. His "appalachian Turks" make for a romantic story, but could easily have been dispensed with in light of anthropological consensus on the topic. Groups such as the Christian Gagauz of Moldova, the Crimean Tatars of Ukraine and the myriad Turkic groups of the Russian Federation (including the Buddhist Buryats) hardly even get a mention, which feels like an oversight. Even the relatively well-known polyphonic throat singers of Tuva only get a paragraph or two.

This is not to say that Pope's work is substandard. For the lay reader, this is very possibly a better book than I am making it out to be. Be aware, however, that the specialist - or indeed the non-specialist who finds this sort of thing interesting - is going to want a lot more than what is written up here.

Pope is pushing the frontiers of journalism.......2006-07-17

This book is amazing in couple of dimensions. First, he lived in Turkey and learned Turkish well (and wrote 'Turkey Unveiled' which I read before reding this book), and then he has traveled almost all over the lands where Turkish/Turkic people live (he just left out Turks in Northern Cyprus, Northern Syria and Ethnic Turks scattered in a couple of newly established Balkan countries (Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia) and some parts of Russia. But I am sure he will go for it too!), and this book is a product of these experiences. He had crazy trips, under difficult conditions. From time to time, he interviewed them under conditions which he was not supposed to (like interviewing Uygur Turks in China. The Chinese don't allow foerign journalists to talk to the Uygur people, in order to cover their oppression of Uygur people). He unveils the longtime sufferings of the Turkic people all over the world, little known by the western world.
I recommend this book for everyone who is interested in Turkic people, people who will travel to Turkic countries, who will have a mission there (diplomats, businessmen, etc.). I also recommend this book to every Turk. I haven't read/seen this comprehensive a book on Turkic World, and my understanding of the situation of the Turkic World now has certainly increased. I will be waiting for Pope's next book. As we Turks say "Who knows more? The one who lives more? Or the one who travels more?". We say it in a way that we stress the latter; and although many of us won't have the chance to travel, reading this book itself is travelling into the Turkic world.

Sons of the Conquerors: The Rise of the Turkic World.......2006-05-10

A superb book, easily readable, exhibiting an unparalleled combination of prudent scholarship, and excellent journalism. Mr. Pope studied his subject matter well, traveled over half the known world to observe all the Turkic people from China to Turkey.His interviews were excellent! It took a lot of stamina on his part to travel, meet, and interview the different people.Only Mr. Pope couldve accomplished this. Keep up the good work and keep on trucking Hugh. Very very highly recommended.

The Turks in the Early Islamic World (The Formation of the Classical Islamic World) (The Formation of the Classical Islamic World)

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The Turks in the Early Islamic World (The Formation of the Classical Islamic World) (The Formation of the Classical Islamic World)

Manufacturer: Ashgate Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Islamic | World | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0860787192

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Excellent Brief Encyclopedia of Turkic Peoples
Amazing History, Excellent Author.
The Turks: Brief Panoramic Work

The Turks in World History
Carter Vaughn Findley
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Turkey | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Sons of the Conquerors: The Rise of the Turkic World
The Turks Today
Warriors of the Steppe: A Military History of Central Asia, 500 B.C. to A.D. 1700
The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia
Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire

ASIN: 0195167708

Book Description

Beginning in Inner Asia two thousand years ago, the Turks have migrated and expanded to form today's Turkish Republic, five post-Soviet republics, other societies across Eurasia, and a global diaspora. For the first time in a single, accessible volume, this book traces the Turkic peoples' trajectory from steppe, to empire, to nation-state. Cultural, economic, social, and political history unite in these pages to illuminate the projection of Turkic identity across space and time and the profound transformations marked successively by the Turks' entry into Islam and into modernity.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Brief Encyclopedia of Turkic Peoples.......2006-02-25

It is a good and brief source of information, sometimes, quite detailed about the history of turkic-speaking people from the ancient to modern time. The author managed to put in 230 pages of the text the mainstream of the development of turkic tribes, peoples and states. The book is objective and well reference-based.

Amazing History, Excellent Author........2005-07-25

This is a truly remarkable book. Findley offers a well-written introduction to the entire history of Turks and Turkic peoples to the non-specialist reader in this very interesting work. The book is composed of an introduction, five main parts and a conclusion. It takes the history of Turks from the very beginning (the appearance of Xiongnu in the Central Asian steppes) and brings it up to the recent electoral victory of AKP (Justice and Development Party) in Turkey. I found the book especially strong on its chapters about Turks' conversion to Islam and after. On top of all the remarkable scholarly qualities of the book, Findley is a very good writer and he carefully explains every point, which may be difficult or unknown to the lay reader. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

The Turks: Brief Panoramic Work.......2005-01-08

This is a masterful work that can be savoured by the professional historian and educated layperson alike. It questions other analysises based on the clash of civilizations or which take for granted that something went wrong, reminding us that failing to adapt to global modernity, or lashing out violently against its manifestations, is not peculiar to any civilization. To put it in a nutshell, Findley looks for continuities and distinctive designs in the history of the Turkic peoples, considering the pre-islamic Turks and their precursors, the entry of the Turks (and the Monguls) into the Islamic world, the great age of indigenous Asian empire building; and finally the modern period. All that in 237 pages divided in the following chapters: One: The pre-islamic Turks and their Precursors; Two: Islam and Empire from the Seljuks through the Mongols; Three: Islamic Empires from Temür to the "Gunpowder Era"; Four: The Turks in the Modern world: Reform and Imperialism; Five: The Turks and Modernity: Republican and Communist; Conclusion: The Turkic Caravan in Retrospect.

Besides, the book is not a difficult reading (content: 5 starts; pleasure of reading: 4 to 3).

Other books I would recommend to read are the following: Donald Quataert, "The Ottoman Empire, 1700-1922", and Robert Mantran (ed), "Histoire de l'Empire ottoman".

Nomad: A Year In the Life of a Qashqa'i Tribesman in Iran

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Nomad: A Year In the Life of a Qashqa'i Tribesman in Iran
Lois Beck
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Iran | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 0520074955

Book Description

Borzu Qermezi was the headman and political leader of a group of nomadic pastoralists who were part of the Qashqa'i confederacy of southwest Iran. Proud, complex, strong-willed, witty, and cunning, Borzu successfully led his people on their annual migrations for many years. He regulated their travel; mediated conflicts; intervened in (and sometimes exacerbated) tense situations between his people and other nomads; and dealt with the government police agency. Structuring the account around the four seasons, Lois Beck recounts the day-to-day activities of Borzu during the year she spent traveling with his people. She describes the rigors of nomadic life and the consequences of decisions made in haste.
During 1970 to 1971, Borzu and his people were faced with many difficulties. When the expected winter rains did not fall, pastures and crops shriveled. Unable to sell their starving livestock for any profit, Borzu's people saw their debts to urban merchants and moneylenders increase. At the same time, Iran exercised more bureaucratic control over the Qashqa'i by applying new policies over migratory schedules and the allocation of scarce pastures, and by introducing non-Qashqa'i agriculturalists and livestock investors as legitimate land users. All these measures threatened the nomad's way of life and eventually undermined the role of headmen such as Borzu. Lois Beck details the vicissitudes endured by Borzu's people and the strategies he devised to cope with them.
Blending ethnographic and historical material, this book contains information unavailable for other tribal and nomadic pastoral groups in the Middle East and central Asia. Through Beck's deft analysis, we come to understand why nomadic pastoralism was once an important part of this vast region, and why tribal society has endured.

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The Turks of Central Asia
Charles Warren Hostler
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Turkey | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Central Asia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0275939316

Book Description

This is a pioneering study which presents carefully researched data on the some 55 million Turkish-speaking peoples of the former Soviet Union and Central Asia. The historical background of and the recent developments in Central Asia and the Trans-Caucasus are presented in detail. Hostler's conclusions emphasize the present instability and the importance of Central Asia as well as the competing roles of Turkey, Iran, Russia and other countries. This unique book follows a standard, traditional historical approach. Central Asia is a vast, little-understood area of great strategic, political, military, and economic importance, which could be a source of future world instability. Scholars and policymakers will be interested in this source of updated and factual information about a little-known area of increasing significance.

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Ibn Fadlan's Journey To Russia
Ahmad Ibn Fadlan
Manufacturer: Markus Wiener Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 155876366X

The Breaking of a Thousand Swords: A History of the Turkish Military of Samarra (200-275 Ah/815-889 Ce) (S U N Y Series in Medieval Middle East History)

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The Sammaran Military and the Origins of Abbasid decline

The Breaking of a Thousand Swords: A History of the Turkish Military of Samarra (200-275 Ah/815-889 Ce) (S U N Y Series in Medieval Middle East History)
Matthew S. Gordon
Manufacturer: State University of New York Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0791447952

Book Description

A portrait of the Samarran Turk community while in the employ of the 'Abbasid caliphate during the ninth centuries.

Customer Reviews:

The Sammaran Military and the Origins of Abbasid decline.......2004-06-01

Gordon has written an excellent history of the origin of the 'Turkish' (as Gordon notes, not only Turks were involved)military under the Abbasids. Locating the construction of the slave-soldier Turkish regiments under the reign of al-Ma'mun, he adeptly attributes the origin of this practice to the need of the 'Abbasid state to reconstruct its military power following the devastating civil war of al-Ma'mun vs. his brother, al-Amin. Thereafter, his account traces the founding of Sammara--a nearly unparalleled, massive medieval city bordering on a million inhabitants at its peak--which served as both the the new seat of the caliph and the base of the Turkish armies. Gordon gives a cogent, lucid picture of the political and social dynamics that the formation of the Turkish slave-soldier regiments. While tracing the rise and influence of the new Turkish elite, he convincingly points to the internal contradictions that led the undoing of Turkish influence over the caliphate and the eventual erosion and waning of central Abbasid power (which was always fragile). Half of the pages dedicated to the work consists of the bibliography and footnotes. Gordon demonstrates a fluency in the source material that does not deprive him of an analytical edge that many of the historians of his field too often lack.

Animal and Shaman: Ancient Religions of Central Asia

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A vague, impressionistic bibliography.

Animal and Shaman: Ancient Religions of Central Asia
Julian Baldick
Manufacturer: NYU Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Shamanism | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Other Eastern Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Comparative Religion | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0814798721
Release Date: 2000-07-01

Book Description

Animal and Shaman presents a comparative survey of the ancient customs and religions of Central Asia. The Pre-Christian and Pre-Muslim peoples of the region, such as the Huns, Scythians, Turks, Mongols, Manchus, Finns and Hungarians, shared a number of traditions and rituals. Characteristics observed by anthropologists today may be traced directly back to an ancient past.

In ancient times there were remarkable commonalities in the forms of worship and spiritual expression among the different peoples of Inner Eurasia, all largely based on the role of animals in their lives. The harsh physical climate of the region led to an emphasis on hunting and animals, in contrast to the fertility rites common in more agriculturally hospitable areas. These characteristics have survived not only in the legends of the region, but have also found their way into the mythologies of the West. Baldick proposes that the myths, rituals, and epics of Central Asia served as possible foundations for such great works at the Odyssey, the Gospels, and Beowulf, which seem to have precursors in Iranian and Inner Eurasian tales.

Customer Reviews:

A vague, impressionistic bibliography........2001-09-13

The author provides no first-hand knowledge of his own, providing only second-hand synopses of the works of others.

If you are willing to research further, this would seem to provide a ready-made outline. My interest in buying the book was for possible linguistic comparison, but the author only names a few native gods and gives very little in the native languages.

Book Description

The origins of the Ottomans, whose enterprise ruled much of the Near East for more than half a millennium, have long tantalized and eluded scholars, many of whom have thrown up their hands in exasperation. While the later fourteenth- and fifteenth-century history of the Ottomans has become better known, the earlier years have proved an alluring and recalcitrant puzzle. A reconsideration of the sources and a canvass of new ones has long been overdue. Rudi Paul Lindner’s Explorations in Ottoman Prehistory is the first book in over sixty years to reassess the overture to Ottoman history.

In addition to conducting a critical examination of the Ottoman chronicles and the Byzantine annals, Lindner develops hitherto unutilized geographic data and previously unknown numismatic evidence and also draws on travelers’ descriptions of the Anatolian landscape in an earlier epoch. By investigating who the Ottomans were, where they came from, and where they settled and why, as well as what sort of relationships they had with their neighbors in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, Lindner makes an engaging and lucid contribution to an otherwise very small store of knowledge of Ottoman history in the early stages of the empire.

Rudi Paul Lindner is Professor of History at the University of Michigan and author of Nomads and Ottomans in Medieval Anatolia, part of Indiana University’s Uralic and Altaic Series.

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The Qashqa'I of Iran
Lois Beck
Manufacturer: Yale Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Iran | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0300032129

Book Description

Learn the many fascinating group names for insects, reptiles and amphibians, birds, and mammals. Also learn the names for many animal homes. Simple layouts include information on the animal's physical characteristics, habitats, and social behavior. What Do You Call A Group Of...? books are great high-interest titles for younger readers, with wonderful photos that will delight everyone. Also included in these 5-volumes are:

Glossary
Index
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