On the Back of the Tiger

Abdulhamid II ruled the Ottoman Empire for thirty-three years, from 1876 to 1909, when he was deposed following the Young Turk Revolution and sent into exile in Thessaloniki. Now, more than a century after that fateful night of April 27, Zulfu Livaneli brings to life the fascinating later days of the overthrown sultan, who precipitated the empire's collapse. Based on the memoirs of Atif Huseyin Bey, personal physician to Abdulhamid and his entourage in exile, this vibrant historical novel explores the nature of power while painting a nuanced psychological portrait of the man who oversaw progressive reforms yet became known as the 'Red Sultan' for the Armenian massacres during his reign.