Covering the greatest three centuries of Turkish history, this book tells the story of the Ottoman Empire’s growth into a vast Middle Eastern Power.

Halil Inalcik is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Chicago. Born in Istanbul, he was a Professor of Ottoman History at the University of Ankara from 1952 until 1972. He then joined the University of Chicago where he taught until his retirement in 1986. He is currently Professor of Ottoman History at Bilknet University in Ankara.