Turkey is in the spotlight now and this book gives better than a birdseye view of the man Empire and of the new Turkey -- five centuries of history in compact form, covering some of the most momentous events of modern times. Turkey stands in the path of the German drive to the East; at the moment she stands firm on determination to fight for her independence. Dr. Caleb Gates, formerly president of Robert College, Constantinople (and author of a record of fifty years in Turkey, Not For Me Only), in reporting on the book for me wrote:- ""The story is told in easy style, with many touches of local color and illuminating incidents. It presents the transformation of Turkey under the Republic with a detail and fullness which is not to be found in any other book I have known. And it gives the reader a clear idea of the country, the peoples and their customs. The necessity of condensing has caused gaps in the historical narrative, but the book is intended for the general reader and not for the scholar, so this is not destructive of its interest."" ...Lengyel is the author of The Danube.