For generations, outsiders saw the Ottomans as bloodthirsty savages or as decadent pleasure-seekers, infatuated by their fine silk robes, unique black tulips and beautiful slave girls. This book uncovers the reality of an empire, created by the fifteenth-century warlords of the Anatolian steppes, whose imprint cna still be felt throughout the Middle East. Andrew Wheatcroft examines the consolidation of Ottom an power, the dynamic multinational state contstrained by hierarchy and protocol (and the constant menace of the executioner's silken cord), and the slow path to reforms based only superficially on Western models. He concludes with some ugly European fantasies about 'the Orient', featuring the Lustful and Terrible Turks.

"Wheatcroft brings the succession of palace revolutions, 'Byzantine' conspiracies and modernizing coups thrillingly... to life... a thouroughly good read." - Frederic Raphael in the Sunday Times

"This is the handiest single volume to take with you as you explore this most intriguing of cities... Freely's final section in the biook... gives the where and the how of what to see, together with some charming line drawings" Robert Carver, Scotsman

A large format book covering, in text and photos, the lives of the Berber people in the Atlas mountains of North Africa. Tons of detail photos of the people, their crafts, fabrics, homes, lives. Great book!

Donna Lapre: I recommend this book to all serious dancers interested in Umm Kulthum, Arabic Song, and Egyptian society in the Twentieth Century. It is of the same caliber as "Female Singers and Dancers in Egypt" by Karin van Nieuwkerk. It has a wealth of information about music and song.

A large format book of photos and narrative of Morocco's people, architecture and way of life. Some really fine photography here.

A study of Moroccan culture through their arts. Lots of pictures of jewelry, fabrics, pottery, tattoos, henna, rugs, embroidery... all with beautifully clear detail. The text is well written and easy to read, and covers details of construction as well as cultural and social details. Large format softbound book.

 One of my students says this book is remarkable, it's on my reading list...

Fatima was raised in a harem in the 1940's and writes about her life. Publisher's Synopsis: In a book as evocative as anything found in A Thousand and One Nights, Mernissi, who was born in a harem in 1940 in Morocco, writes with great wit and color of the politics of seductions, of the harem as a metaphor, and of the world beyond--every woman's inaccessible obsession.

A large format book about the traditional Ottoman (Turkish) Harem. Lots of cultural information, photos, engravings and paintings. Very nice quality and wonderful reading!

This is a wonderful book, fun to read, full of information and atmosphere. It has lots of old photos, paintings, drawings. Wonderful!

A coffee table book of wonderful photos of the people, culture, countryside, cities and ancient and modern ways of life on the Arabian Peninsula. This book is out of print but may be available through a book search.

This book was written by a doctor who worked in Saudi Arabia for three years, treating people from Bedouin to Royal Family. An interesting tale that chronicles his encounters and observations and his struggle to understand a very foreign culture through western eyes and sensibilities.

Booknews: Mernissi examines whether Islam is opposed to women's rights by focusing on the early years of Islam and Mohammed's intention of creating an egalitarian society without slaves or sexual discrimination. Her work stands as a manifesto for Muslim women who strive for full human rights on the one hand and access to an inspirational religious tradition on the other; she asserts that it is the political and economic interests of a male elite--not the dictates of the religion--that are responsible for the denial of rights to women.

A small book on the practices and social behaviors that are encountered in the Arab states. A small but very practical guide to "what to expect" and "how to act" in social and business settings.

Among the Tuareg people in the Air Mountain region of Niger, women are sometimes possessed by spirits called "the people of solitude." The evening curing rituals of the possessed, featuring drumming and song, take place before an audience of young men and women, who joke and flirt as the ritual unfolds. In her analysis of this tolerated but unofficial cult, Susan Rasmussen analyses symbolism and aesthetic values, provides case studies of possessed women, and reviews what local people think about the meaning of possession.

Synopsis: Popularly known as the "blue people, " the Tuareg have for centuries lived in the heart of the Sahara, unwilling to accept the political authority of others. This two-volume set offers a unique glimpse of Tuareg culture and society from the intricacies of their pastoral way of life to the complexity of their political, economic, and social systems. 515 illus. 210 in color.

Read an excerpt with pictures about wedding celebrations, dancing with swords here...

Excellent account of the people and culture, well written and very easy to read. The author has quite an insightful view and I enjoyed reading this.

Reviews: Ages 4-8 An introduction to the natural wonders of the desert and two peoples who live there, the San and the Tuareg.

Booklist , July 19, 1995: Ages 4-9 In this picture book for older children, Muhamad, a young boy of the nomadic Tuareg people of North Africa, becomes a man when he spends his first night alone in the desert tending to a new mother goat and her kid. Told in Muhamad's voice, the story reflects the culture of the Tuareg, a nomadic people with strong ties to family and the desert way of life. Kessler's poetic text has rhythm and repetition, as Muhamad repeatedly praises Allah, "Al Hamdillilai!," for making him "the wealthiest of boys." Schoenherr's artwork is striking, with vivid double-spreads contrasting the brightness of the sun on the yellow sand with the peacefulness of the desert under the moon. Kessler based Muhamad on a young boy of the same name she met while spending time with the Tuareg, a people who, she explains, are now threatened because of their nomadic ways.

An oversized book with photos of the traditional mud structure dwellings of the West Africans. Each year the women, using only their hands and natural pigments, paint the walls of their community with bold and sophisticated geometric patterns. Wonderful pictures of the women and their work in painting walls, pottery, and mud cloth.