Gastronomic Turkey: Book Suggestions
Here are some suggestions for books, biographies, and travel guides should you wish to read up on Turkey, Turkish history, and the region’s archaeology before your cultural tour. The books are in no particular recommended order. This list of books is not required reading!
UK visitors interested in purchasing these books, may click on the main title. US visitors wishing to buy, please click on ‘In USA’
Ancient Caria
Turkey Beyond the Maeander IN USA George E Bean - the definitive archaeological guide to the region, but rather dry.
Alexander’s Path: from Caria to Cilicia In USA Freya Stark - a look at the area in the 50’s in the footsteps of Alexander.
The Western Shores of Turkey IN USA John Freely - authoritative & informative guide, following in Bean’s footsteps.
South from Ephesus: Travels in Turkey IN USA Brian Sewell - classic, self-indulgent travelogue.
Byzantium / Constantinople / Istanbul
The Blue Guide: Istanbul is the best guidebook to Istanbul, and is filled with concise information about all the visible historical monuments of every period.
A Hedonist’s guide to...Istanbul IN USA Nick Hackworth - a fanstastic insider’s guide for sophisticated travellers.
Constantinople: City of the World’s Desire 1453-1924 IN USA Philip Mansel - is a colourful, informative and truly great read.
Istanbul: the Imperial City IN USA John Freely - is a fascinating broad-brush biography of one of the world’s greatest cities.
Strolling Through Istanbul: The Classic Guide to the City IN USA John Freely and Hilary Sumner-Boyd - is an excellent read.
Istanbul: The Collected Traveller An Inspired Companion Guide IN USA Barrie Kerper - A unique guide combining fascinating articles from a wide range of writers, woven together with the editor’s own brilliant advice and opinions.
Ancient Turkey
A Traveller’s History of Turkey IN USA Richard Stoneman - is a good overview of Turkish history from prehistoric times to the present day.
Ancient Turkey: A Traveller’s History IN USA Seton Lloyd - is a classic account of Turkish history from Prehistory to Christianity.
Kingdoms of Ruin: The Art and Architectural Splendours of Ancient Turkey IN USA Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch - is a gorgeous photographic record of the landscapes and ancient sites of Turkey.
Ancient History
Greek History IN USA Robin Osborne - is the best short introduction to the history of Ancient Greece.
History of Rome IN USA Marcel Le Glay, Jean-Louis Voisin, Yann Le Bohec, David Cherry, Donald G. Kyle (4th edition) - It’s difficult to write a single authoritative book covering such a long period and geographical range, but the authors have done a great job with this.
Constructing the Ancient World: Architectural Techniques of the Greeks and Romans IN USA Carmelo Malacrino - is a good introduction to the engineering skills and prowess that we will be marvelling at on this tour.
Byzantine History
A Concise History of Byzantium 285-1461 IN USA Warren Treadgold - is an accessible and concise introduction to the Byzantine Empire.
Byzantium: the Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire IN USA Judith Herrin - is a good thematic introduction to the Byzantine world.
Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture IN USA Richard Krautheimer - is a decent guide to this subject.
Byzantine Art IN USA Robin Cormack - a descriptive and analytical discourse on this complex and interesting subject.
Ottoman History
Osman’s Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire IN USA Caroline Finkel - is a clear historical account by a distinguished Ottoman scholar and Istanbul resident.
Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire (new edition 2008) IN USA Jason Goodwin - is a beautifully written book that attempts to go beyond traditional history to provide an insight into the culture and atmosphere of the Ottoman world.
Modern History and General Turkey Books
Sons of the Conquerors: the Rise of the Turkic World IN USA Hugh Pope - covers all corners of the modern Turkish world with verve and style.
Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds IN USA Stephen Kinzer - is a fascinating look at Turkey now and tomorrow.
Ataturk IN USA Andrew Mango - is the best biography of the founder of the Turkish state that is currently in print.
Tales from the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey IN USA Anastasia Ashman and Jennifer Gökmen - is a riveting look at life in modern Turkey from the perspective of expatriate women.
A Fez of the heart: Travels through Turkey in Search of a Hat IN USA Jeremy Seal - is a witty portrait of modern Turkey.
Turkey Unveiled: A History of Modern Turkey IN USA Nicole Pope & Hugh Pope - a picture of 20th-century Turkey and its formative past.
Turkish Food & Cooking
Sultan’s Kitchen: A Turkish Cookbook IN USA Özcan Ozan - is a sumptuous illustrated introduction to Turkish recipes.
The Food and Cooking of Turkey IN USA Ghille Basan.
World Food: Turkey Lonely Planet IN USA Dani Valent et al - a great little guide to Turkey’s taste sensations.
Eat Smart in Turkey IN USA Joan and David Peterson.
The Turkish Cookbook: Regional Recipes and Stories IN USA Nur Ilkin and Sheilah Kaufman.
Secrets of the Turkish Kitchen IN USA Angie Mitchell.
Modern Mezze IN USA Anissa Helou.
Turkey Guidebooks
Turkey Lonely Planet 2009 IN USA
The Rough Guide to Turkey 2010 IN USA
Turkey (Eyewitness Travel Guides) 2010 IN USA
Turkey Novels and Literature
Memed, My Hawk IN USA Yashar Kemal - a wonderful novel by one of Turkey’s finest writers.
Orhan Pamuk is currently the most celebrated Turkish novelist, and his prose offers an intense and somewhat dark perspective on Turkey, its people and their history. Why not try one of his recent ‘classics’ such as My Name is Red IN USA or The Black Book IN USA
Birds without Wings IN USA Louis de Bernieres - is a dramatization of events in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire in a village, Kayakoy, which we pass on our Lycian tours.
