God's Shadow Audiobook By Alan Mikhail cover art

God's Shadow

Sultan Selim, His Ottoman Empire, and the Making of the Modern World

Preview

Try for $0.00
Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

God's Shadow

By: Alan Mikhail
Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.49

Buy for $21.49

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Long neglected in world history, the Ottoman Empire was a hub of intellectual fervor, geopolitical power, and enlightened pluralistic rule. At the height of their authority in the 16th century, the Ottomans controlled more territory and ruled over more people than any world power, forcing Europeans out of the Mediterranean and to the New World.

Yet, despite its towering influence and centrality to the rise of our modern world, the Ottoman Empire's history has for centuries been distorted, misrepresented, and even suppressed in the West. Now Alan Mikhail presents a vitally needed recasting of Ottoman history, retelling the story of the Ottoman conquest of the world through the dramatic biography of Sultan Selim I (1470-1520).

Mikhail's game-changing account uses Selim's life to upend prevailing shibboleths about Islamic history and jingoistic "rise of the West" theories that have held sway for decades. Whether recasting Christopher Columbus's voyages to the "Americas" as a bumbling attempt to slay Muslims or showing how the Ottomans allowed slaves to become the elite of society while Christian states at the very same time waged the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade, God's Shadow radically reshapes our understanding of the importance of Selim's Ottoman Empire in the history of the modern world.

©2020 Alan Mikhail (P)2020 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
16th Century Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Military & War Politicians Turkey World Ottoman Empire Imperialism Crusade Turkey History
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about God's Shadow

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    151
  • 4 Stars
    52
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    138
  • 4 Stars
    41
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    130
  • 4 Stars
    41
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A fascinating book

I learned a lot from this book easy-to-follow and a good story. This makes me look at European and US history in a new light.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A profound perspective of world history .

Some stories just grab your imagination and take it on a journey of profound experiential vision. This writing and narration has been such an illumination for me. Thank you!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Ignore the holier than thou shrieks

Fascinating and mind opening. If you like getting a single perspective of history written by the victors, this book is NOT for you. If you think that the Muslims were evil and Christians good, again just read todays main stream media. But if you looking for an interesting perspective, something to challenge that brain and beliefs of yours, a veil lifting book, this is for you!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Spectacular

Wonderful read! Deeply appreciated the global historical context and its' correlation to current ideologies.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

I loved this book. I can’t recommend it enough. 10/10. We’ve talked about it non stop at our home.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Real history brought to life

I have over 2,200 books in my audible library and this is in the 1% of it. I learned so much about the modern world from the 15th century. The author needs to keep on coming with books. The writing style is beautiful.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great History

Without understanding the history we will easily get lost in the future . this book from a credible source states the facts of important.part at the dawn of America’s history. It is informative, interesting... I highly recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

evolution of the modern world

Firstly, narrator did an excellent job. Although this is not a novel, listening to it, you will absolutely feel like in an exciting novel packed with interesting string of events and facts. Much like the the theory of everything, this is the book of everything, as far as modern history concerns. From early middle eastern settlements, to Ottoman Empire, discovery of America, reformations of Christianity and Islam, Martin Luther birth of Protestantism, history of slavery, European Crusades, church’s regulations,the foundation of the USA, 9/11, Barack Obama, Erdogan and finally Donald Trump.

For me, whatever Sapiens by Harari was for history of humanity, God’s Shadow is for the history of modern world.

There is clearly tremendous amount of work and dedication behind this rather scholarly story.

Kudos for the author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

History on Steroids read like an Epic Saga

Very much enjoyed Alan's objective and non-orientalist (RIP Edward Said) portrayal of one of the most critical points in Ottoman history. It was packed with history but ready like a great story. James Stewart did a great job reading too. I highly recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Truly Enlightening ! !

Refreshingly new approach to the other side of the coin that you never heard about..

Truly Enlightening how much was accomplished when things were done with brain-power and not technology

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!