The Turks Today

Reviews / Votes

'The Turks Today is a deeply perceptive, thought-provoking book that will do much to foster a better understanding of this complex nation.' -- Geographical Magazine 20041101 'Insightful, concise and marvellously accessible ... Mango brings his depth of knowledge and understanding to bear on almost every aspect of Turkish life.' -- Geographical Magazine 20041101 'Without hesitation ... Andrew Mango's new book is ... expert' -- The Irish Times 20040901 'A swift, potted history of the Turkish political rollercoaster ... where he gets most interesting is in trying to analyse the state of Turkish democracy today ... excellent ... a comprehensive guide to how the complex and confusing Turkish political clock has been put together.' -- Financial Times 20040828 'Andrew Mango's portrait of contemporary Turkey is probably the most successful general introduction to the country for several decades.' -- The Tablet 20040807 'He paints a broad and accessible picture, shrewdly gleaned from his insider-outsider dual perspective ... The Turks Today unfolds as a balanced, coherent primer for serious travellers with an itch to read the hidden lie of the land, and for inquisitive general readers ... the book's succinct prologue provides a deft overview and analysis of the nature of Turkish society and its peoples ... pertinent observations ... balanced argument.' -- Scotland on Sunday 20040815 'Andrew Mango knows Turkey well ... as the author of an admiring and admirable biography of Ataturk.' -- Spectator 20040821 'A sound argument' -- Good Book Guide 20041001 'Mango is broadly positive' -- The Scotsman 20040904 'Andrew Mango gives excellent descriptions of [Ankara and Istanbul] ... the good thing about Andrew Mango's book is that he sees Turkey as a success story ... [he] knows the language inside out, and has studied the country for years. He can discuss politics and even finance with authority; he follows the newspapers and reads the books; he can talk about the main novelists; and he writes with elegance and conciseness. His summary of the Cyprus problem is impeccable ... The result, at last, is a book that people on their way to Turkey can pick up and read on the plane ... [Turkey's] recent past deserves a proper, sympathetic examination, and a proper, well-informed book to make this possible. It has, at least, got one.' -- Literary Review 20040801 'To his credit, modern Turkey's great champion never acts as its apologist ... authoritative and illuminating.' -- Sunday Times 20040829 'Andrew Mango knows Turkey well.' -- The Spectator 20040821 'Excellent ... a comprehensive guide to how the complex and confusing Turkish political clock has been put together' -- Financial Times 20040828 'A balanced, coherent primer for serious travellers ... and for inquisitive general readers.' -- Scotland on Sunday 20040815 '[Turkey's] recent past deserves a proper ... well-informed book ... It has, at last, got one.' -- Literary Review 20040801 'His anatomy of the country's institutions and society is expert and engrossing'. -- The Guardian 20050416 'Mango's book is a masterful overview of this period in Turkey's history' -- Sunday Times 20050522