Atatürk: The Biography of the Founder of Modern Turkey

A well-written and informative book. This biography is a requisite for english readers who wants to know more about modern Turkey. However, i could not give it a perfect 5 stars because I felt that the period during which Ataturk ruled Turkey as its first president ( a period spanning 15 years) was not discussed in detail, and was rushed towards the end of the book. With so many things happening in Turkey and the world during the interwar period, I wonder why the author consigned its discussion to a small portion of the book. Nevertheless, I still highly recommend the book, especially because it included excellent maps and pictures that made it even more interesting and easier to read.

Ataturk was truly a leader to be admired for his vision, and for his accomplishments. This book is thoroughly researched and gives a good account of the man and the times he lived in. However, I found the writing style dry and not engaging.

It's a cliche that Ataturk was the Founder of Modern Turkey but Mango puts some meaning into it by showing him stepping into the vacuum of collapsing Ottoman rule, defending the fledgling country and giving it a new Western/secular bias. An excellent book.

Thorough, but plodding

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