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Born in London to a Turkish mother and British father, Alev Scott
moved to Istanbul to discover what it means to be Turkish in a
country going through rapid political and social change, with an
extraordinary past still linked to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and an
ever more surprising present under the leadership of Recep Tayyip
Erdogan. From the European buzz of modern-day Constantinople to the
Arabic-speaking towns of the south-east, Turkish Awakening
investigates mass migration, urbanisation and economics in a
country moving swiftly towards a new position on the world stage.
This is the story of discovering a complex country from the
outside-in, a candid account of overturned preconceptions and fresh
understanding. Relating wide-ranging interviews and colourful
personal experience, the author charts the evolving course of a
country bursting with surprises - none more dramatic than the
unexpected political protests of 2013 in Taksim Square, which have
brought to light the emerging demands of a newly awakened Turkish
people. Mass migration, urbanisation and a growing awareness of
human rights have changed the social, economic and physical
landscapes of a powerful country, and the 2013 protests were just
one indication of the changes afoot in today's Turkey. Threatened
as it is by recent developments in Syria and Iraq and the
approaching danger of ISIS. Encompassing topics as varied as Aegean
camel wrestling, transgender prostitution, politicised soap operas
and riot tourism, this is a revelatory, at times humorous, at times
moving, portrait of a country which is coming of age.
Democracy was born in Athens. From its founding myths to its golden
age and its chaotic downfall, it's rich with lessons for our own
times. Why did vital civil engagement and fair debate descend into
paralysis and populism? Can we compare Creon to Trump, Demokratia
to the American Constitution or Demosthenes' On the Crown to the
Brexit campaign? And how did a second referenda save the Athenians
from a bloodthirsty decision? With verve and acuity, the heroics
and the critics of Athenian democracy are brought to bear on
today's politics, revealing in all its glories and its flaws the
system that still survives to execute the power of the people.
**SHORTLISTED FOR THE STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR**
Alev Scott's odyssey began when she looked beyond Turkey's borders
for contemporary traces of the Ottoman Empire. Their 800-year rule
ended a century ago - and yet, travelling through twelve countries
from Kosovo to Greece to Palestine, she uncovers a legacy that's
vital and relevant; where medieval ethnic diversity meets 21st
century nationalism, and displaced people seek new identities. It's
a story of surprises. An acolyte of Erdogan in Christian-majority
Serbia confirms the wide-reaching appeal of his authoritarian
leadership. A Druze warlord explains the secretive religious
faction in the heart of the Middle East. The palimpsest-like
streets of Jerusalem's Old Town hint at the Ottoman co-existence of
Muslims and Jews. And in Turkish Cyprus Alev Scott rediscovers a
childhood home. In every community, history is present as a dynamic
force. Faced by questions of exile, diaspora and collective memory,
Alev Scott searches for answers from the cafes of Beirut to the
refugee camps of Lesbos. She uncovers in Erdogan's nouveau-Ottoman
Turkey a version of the nostalgic utopias sold to disillusioned
voters in Europe and the U.S. And yet - as she relates with
compassion, insight and humour - diversity is the enduring,
endangered heart of this fascinating region.
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