The Ottoman Empire has exerted a long, strong pull on Western minds and hearts. This book charts the history from the first campaigns to the Charge of the Light Brigade, from the Crusades to the Dardenelles, and brings to life innumerable aspects of Ottoman life.

A concubine is strangled in the Sultan's palace harem, and a young cadet is found butchered in the streets of Istanbul. Delving deep into the city's crooked alleyways, and deeper still into its tumultuous past, the eunuch Yashim discovers that some people will go to any lengths to preserve the traditions of the Ottoman Empire.

It is Istanbul, 1838, and a French archaeologist, has arrived in Istanbul determined to uncover a lost Byzantine treasure. Yashim is hired to investigate him, but when the man turns up dead, there is only one suspect: Yashim himself. Now, Yashim has to uncover the truth behind a secret society dedicated to the revival of the Byzantine Empire.

When the body of a Russian agent is found down a monastery well, Yashim knows exactly who to blame. Fevzi Ahmet Pasha, commander of the Ottoman fleet. Years ago, when Yashim first entered the sultan's service, Fevzi Ahmet was his mentor. Ruthless, cruel, and - in Yashim's eyes - ultimately ineffective, he is the only man who makes him afraid.

'The Bellini Card' is a thrilling adventure, in which a quest for a lost painting turns into a dangerous game of cat and mouse - that threatens to destroy the Ottoman throne and overturn the balance of power in Europe.

In nineteenth-century Istanbul, a Polish prince has been kidnapped. His assassination has been bungled and his captors have taken him to an unused farmhouse. Little do they realize that their revolutionary cell has been penetrated by their enemies, who use the code name La Piuma (the Feather). Yashim is convinced that the prince is alive. But he has no idea where, or who La Piuma is - and has become dangerously distracted by falling in love. As he draws closer to the prince's whereabouts and to the true identity of La Piuma, Yashim finds himself in the most treacherous situation of his...

Inspired by recipes in Jason Goodwin s bestselling historical Investigator Yashim series, Yashim Cooks Istanbul evokes the colors and flavors of the Ottoman world, combining Turkish recipes, illustrations and tempting descriptions from the novels.

Fans of the series have been asking for this book ever since Yashim made his first appearance in The Janissary Tree (2006), winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel.

As The Guardian wrote: "A Yashim cookery book would be an appetising prospect."

Yashim Cooks Istanbul covers the full...

"People of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning."

Those words come from Henry Ford, and they are truer today than ever. Banks continue to purchase assets with other people's money, which contributed to the global debt crisis that devastated so many individuals and families.

Jason Goodwin, a lifelong student of the economy, outlines how the banking and monetary system work in this book that not only informs but will make you downright angry. He focuses on topics such as

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