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The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East Audiobook
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Publisher Description
In The Fall of the Ottomans, award-winning historian Eugene Rogan brings the First World War and its immediate aftermath in the Middle East to vivid life, uncovering the often ignored story of the region's crucial role in the conflict. Bolstered by German money, arms, and military advisors, the Ottomans took on the Russian, British, and French forces and tried to provoke jihad against the Allies in their Muslim colonies. Unlike the static killing fields of the Western Front, the war in the Middle East was fast-moving and unpredictable, with the Turks inflicting decisive defeats before the tide of battle turned in the Allies' favor. The great cities of Baghdad, Jerusalem, and, finally, Damascus fell to invading armies before the Ottomans agreed to an armistice in 1918.
The postwar settlement led to the partition of Ottoman lands between the victorious powers and laid the groundwork for the ongoing conflicts that continue to plague the modern Arab world. A sweeping narrative of battles and political intrigue from Gallipoli to Arabia, The Fall of the Ottomans is essential listening for anyone seeking to understand the Great War and the making of the modern Middle East.
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“[In] this superb audio production…Rogan reconstructs a bloody and controversial history with objectivity and utter truthfulness, and narrator Derek Perkins maintains that same distance and balance—while conveying with stark immediacy the awful drift of events. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
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“[A] very readable account of the Ottoman theocracy’s demise…Gripping sections describe the British-led advance on Jerusalem in late 1917, leading to the holy city’s capture in time for Christmas. This is an extraordinary tale and Rogan recounts it well.”
— New York Times Book Review -
An illuminating work that offers new understanding to the troubled history of this key geopolitical region.
— Kirkus -
“This engrossing history unfolds in the Middle Eastern theater of the First World War, capturing the complex array of battles, brutalities, and alliances that brought down the six-hundred-year-old Ottoman Empire.”
— New Yorker -
“The book stands alongside the best histories. Mr. Rogan ably weaves the thinking and doings of the politicians and generals with their impact on the soldiers and civilian populations.”
— Economist (London) -
“Compared to the western front, the Middle East was a sideshow for all but those who called it home. Rogan has rightly put these Turks, Armenians, and Arabs at the center of his account.”
— Guardian (London) -
“A sweeping and nuanced work.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“A well-researched and well-written book…A much-needed addition to World War I scholarship.”
— Library Journal -
“An illuminating work that offers new understanding to the troubled history of this key geopolitical region.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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A New York Times bestseller
The Fall of the Ottomans Listener Reviews
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Nicholas Kitto, 4/30/2022
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John Atwood, 8/16/2017
About Eugene Rogan
Eugene Rogan is a Fellow of St. Antony’s College and lectures in the modern history of the Middle East at the University of Oxford. The author of The Arabs, Rogan lives in Oxford, England.
About Derek Perkins
Derek Perkins is a professional narrator and voice actor. He has earned numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration, as well as numerous Society of Voice Arts nominations. AudioFile magazine named him a Best Voice consecutively in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Augmented by a knowledge of three foreign languages and a facility with accents, he has narrated numerous titles in a wide range of fiction and nonfiction genres.