Readings

The Institute’s core readings are all modestly priced and highly accessible to non-specialists. Ray Van Dam’s Rome and Constantinople (2010) explores the impact of these two imperial centers on their empires; Judith Herrin’s Byzantium. The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire (2007), Daniel Goffman’s The Ottoman Empire and Early Modern Europe (2002), and Donald Quataert’s Ottoman Empire, 1700-1922 (2005) offer concise and engaging accounts of the Byzantine, early and late Ottoman Empires, respectively, while setting this history in the context of the Middle East and Europe.   Excerpts from Fariba Zarinebaff’s Crime and Punishment in Istanbul, 1700-1800 (2010) provide a vivid exploration of the social, economic, and political fabric of the imperial capital and compares this to Western cities in the period. C. V. Findley’s The Turks in World History (2005) sets the widest stage by examining the impact of Turkic peoples from the pre-Islamic period to the present. Finally, Stephen Kinzer’s Crescent & Star. Turkey Between Two Worlds (2008) offers keen insight into contemporary politics, history, and regional ties. The texts will be supplemented by a digital reader of primary sources and scholarly articles.