In the mid-eighteenth century, most of the Mediterranean coastline and its hinterlands were controlled by the Ottoman Empire, a vast Islamic power regarded by Christian Europe with awe and fear. By the end of the First World War, however, this great civilisation had been completely subjugated, and its territories occupied by European powers. Sea of Troubles is the definitive account of the European conquest of the Levant and North Africa over three centuries. Ian Rutledge reveals the intense imperial rivalry between six European powers - Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Austria-Hungary and Russia - who all jostled for control of the trade, lands and wealth of the Islamic Mediterranean. The competition between these states made their conquest a far more difficult and extended task than they encountered elsewhere in the world. Yet, as new contenders entered the contest, and as rivalries intensified in the early twentieth century, events would spiral out of control as the continent headed towards the First World War.

About the Author
Ian Rutledge is an economist and historian. Rutledge earned his PhD in Economic History from the University of Cambridge and has taught at the Universities of London and Sheffield. An Arabist who has studied the language for over two decades, Rutledge has devoted the past two decades to researching the economic and political history of the Middle East and North Africa. His other publications include the critically acclaimed Enemy on the Euphrates: The Battle for Iraq, 1914-1921.

Reviews

"A lifetime worth of research has gone into this book and Rutledge offers some deep insight and rich detail ... We still live with the legacy of the Ottomans and the rise of the West, which is what makes this book an important read."

* Middle East Monitor *



Book Information
ISBN 9780863569500
Author Ian Rutledge
Format Hardback
Page Count 576
Imprint Saqi Books
Publisher Saqi Books
Weight(grams) 480g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 45mm