Hugh Pope
Sons of the Conquerors (2005)
Author: Hugh Pope
Genre: Nonfiction (Contemporay Issues/Travel)
Book Summary:
Hugh Pope, long-time Wall Street Journal Istanbul correspondent, has been in an ideal position to witness the reemergence of various Turkic nations and peoples with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Based on his extensive travels throughout Turkey and Central Asia, Pope puts together a fascinating series of essays on the more than 140 million Turkic people spread from Siberia and western China to the Balkans and northern Iran. Pope, who is fluent in Turkish, a language widely similar to other Turkic languages and understood by most Turkic people, is at his best when reporting his intimate discussions with average people, from Azeri oil workers to disgruntled Uygur businessmen in Xinjiang, China. Organized around several grand themes, such as Turkic propensity to militarism and despotism and Turkic peoples' unique interpretations of Islam, Pope provides rich insight into the culture and future prospects of an ethnic group not widely known in the United States.
Geographical Setting: Primarily Turkey, central Asia, and the Balkans
Time Period: from around 1990 to 2005, with considerable historical background
Appeal Characteristics:
First and foremost, this book will appeal to readers by introducing an intricate culture and history that is little known in the West and, while quite interesting and at times exotic, is very different from typical stereotypes. Far from a textbook though, the book is full of local color and fascinating anecdote. The author is very good at introducing people in the various Turkic areas and using their words and experiences to illustrate the larger points he is trying to make. The author writes well and is able to bring humor to his essays without belittling the struggles of the people he so obviously admires.
Read-alikes: Readers who enjoyed the author's writing style, but who would appreciate a more rigorous and organized approach might enjoy Turkey Unveiled (1998, rev. 2004) by Hugh Pope and Nicole Pope. The Turks in World History (2004) by Carter Vaughn Findley is an excellent history that will provide much detail for readers wanting to know more about the background of the Turks. The Burning Tigris (2003) by Peter Balakian is a compelling serious history of the Armenian genocide in Turkey just after WWI. It would be of interest to any reader wanting a more objective balance to Pope's cheerful Turkophilia. Those readers who enjoyed the humor of the book might try a less serious travelogue, Bill Bryson's In a Sunburned Country (2000). Alex Kerr also portrays the contemporary situation of an ancient culture and people in Dogs and Demons, a book about Japan. Kerr's book is told in a similar series of anecdotal chapters, though Kerr's controversial thesis that Japan is essentially a dysfunctional society is much darker than Pope's.
Red Flags: mild sexual situations and some reported violence
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