Gabor Agoston examines the weapons technology and armaments industries of the Ottoman Empire, the only Islamic empire that threatened Europe on its own territory in the Gunpowder Age. Considering topics such as technology transfer, the integration of firearms in the Ottoman army and navy, and saltpeter and gunpowder production, the book demonstrates the success of the Ottoman military machine against its European and Muslim rivals from the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries.

The book affords insight into the early success and subsequent failure of an Islamic empire against European adversaries.