SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOLFSON HISTORY PRIZEA SUNDAY TIMES PAPERBACK OF THE YEAR''Magnificent . . . Important and hugely readable'' William Dalrymple, Financial Times''A wildly ambitious and entertainingly lurid history'' James Barr, The Times''A panoramic and thought-provoking account'' Guardian''A winning portrait of seven centuries of empire, teeming with life and colour'' Sunday Times''Superb, gripping and refreshing'' Simon Sebag Montefiore''Sweeping, colorful, and rich in extraordinary characters'' Tom HollandThe major new history of a diverse empire that straddled East and West.The Ottoman Empire has long been depicted as the Islamic, Asian antithesis of the Christian, European West, when in reality, their multiethnic, multilingual, and multireligious domain reached deep into Europe''s heart. Recounting their remarkable rise to a world empire, Marc David Baer traces their debts to their Turkish, Mongolian, Islamic and Byzantine heritage. Upending Western accounts of the Renaissance, the Age of Exploration and the Reformation, The Ottomans is a magisterial portrait that vividly redefines the dynasty''s enduring impact on Europe and the world.