Prisoner of the Infidels
The Memoir of an Ottoman Muslim in Seventeenth-Century Europe
- 224 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Prisoner of the Infidels
The Memoir of an Ottoman Muslim in Seventeenth-Century Europe
About This Book
Victor Hugo meets Papillon in this effervescent memoir of war, slavery, and self-discovery, told with aplomb and humor in its first English translation. A pioneering work of Ottoman Turkish literature, Prisoner of the Infidels brings the seventeenth-century memoir of Osman Agha of Timi?oaraâslave, adventurer, and diplomatâinto English for the first time. The sweeping story of Osman's life begins upon his capture and subsequent enslavement during the OttomanâHabsburg Wars. Adrift in a landscape far from his home and traded from one master to another, Osman tells a tale of indignation and betrayal but also of wonder and resilience, punctuated with queer trysts, back-alley knife fights, and elaborate ruses to regain his freedom. Throughout his adventures, Osman is forced to come to terms with his personhood and sense of belonging: What does it mean to be alone in a foreign realm and treated as subhuman chattel, yet surrounded by those who see him as an object of exotic desire or even genuine affection? Through his eyes, we are treated to an intimate view of seventeenth-century Europe from the singular perspective of an insider/outsider, who by the end his account can no longer reckon the boundary between Islam and Christendom, between the land of his capture and the land of his birth, or even between slavery and redemption.
Frequently asked questions
Information
Table of contents
- Subvention
- Title
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Maps
- Acknowledgments
- A Note on Transcription from Ottoman Turkish
- A Note on the Translation
- Introduction: On Being Osman
- 1.   Surrender
- 2.   Ransom
- 3.   Crime and Punishment
- 4.   Death and Resurrection
- 5.   Respite
- 6.   Bonds of Love
- 7.   To the Capital
- 8.   A Friend in Need
- 9.   An Unexpected Turn of Events
- 10.   Into the Lionâs Den
- 11.   Grifters
- 12.   To the Border
- 13.   The End
- Appendix: The Main Characters in Osmanâs Narrative
- Notes
- Index of People
- Index of Places