About the book (from jacket flap):
The story of the Ottoman empire – once the mightiest in the world – seen through the actions of its dissolute sultans, their venal politicians, and their favourite concubines, intriguing for power in the hidden world of the harem.
Against the background of the Grand Seraglio in Constantinople, where the concubines lived and waited for that supreme moment when the Sultan would command a visit to his bedroom, the voluptuous history of the degenerate Sultans is unveiled.
This is an immensely enjoyable book – an extraordinary story told with skill and gusto. It is also beautifully illustrated with 47 magnificent pictures, many of them from Mr Rodney Searlight’s superb collection, and endpapers; there are 7 maps.
