The Turkish History,

The greatest English work of the Renaissance period dealing with Turkey. Knolles spent twelve years on the completion of his great history which is based on the work of such authorities as Busbecq, Giovio, Georgievitz, etc. The portraits are largely taken from Boissard's 'Vitae et Icones Sultanorum'.

This is the first collected edition of Knolles' and Rycaut's works, whilst also being the sixth edition of Knolles' Turkish History. A third volume was issued in 1700 containing Rycaut's continuation up to 1699. In this copy the 'Contents' leaves for the Rycaut are bound at the end of the volume, rather than the beginning.

These volumes are a combination of important works by well-known English historians of the Ottoman Empire. Knolles was commissioned to write the first English language history on this subject which first appeared in 1603 and has been hailed not only as an important history but as a skilfully crafted of English prose (Dr Johnson). The editor and updater Sir Paul Rycaut who went to Constantinople as secretary to the English ambassador. Rycaut's detailed information on the Ottoman Empire of his time came from various sources, Turkish records, members of the government and Ulema and from a Pole who had spent ninetten years at the Ottoman court. An important pairing which produced an influential work.