100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders πŸš€

The Turkish Embassy Letters

1716-1718
Series: Eland classics
3.47 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 1,054 ratings, 108 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Turkish Embassy Letters by Mary Wortley Montagu presents a vivid account of her journey and experiences in the Ottoman Empire during the early 18th century. Through a series of letters, she offers an insightful portrayal of life, culture, and customs in the East, revealing her unique perspective as a woman traveller. Her keen observations and wit provide a rare glimpse into a world that was largely unfamiliar to Western audiences at the time.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3499
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you appreciate a vivid glimpse into 18th-century Ottoman society from a unique perspective, this book may appeal to you. The author's keen observations and engaging storytelling offer an insightful and entertaining journey, bringing to life the vibrant customs and the richly detailed landscapes she experienced.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Letters written from 1716-1718 from the Ottoman Empire by Mary Wortley Montagu, one of the first modern travel writers. A revelation in their day.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Mary Montagu was one of the most extraordinary characters in the world. She was a self-educated intellectual, a free spirit, a radical, a feminist but also an entitled aristocrat and a society wit with powerful friends at court.

In 1716, she travelled across Europe to take up residence in Istanbul as the wife of the British ambassador. Her letters remain as fresh as the day they were penned: enchanted by her discoveries of the life of Turkish women behind the veil, by Arabic poetry, and by contemporary medical practices, including inoculation. For two years, she lovingly observed Ottoman society as a participant, with affection, intelligence, and an astonishing lack of prejudice.

She is one of the first modern travel writers and still one of the best, studying and recording a lived culture through its own values and its own language. In her own words, 'No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure more lasting.'

'... one of the best narrative travel books ever written by an Englishwoman.' β€” Dervla Murphy

'Her letters have an immediacy and vivacity that remains as fresh as the mosaics on the ancient monuments she saw and the eastern gardens that gave her such delight.' β€” Anita Desai

'... what fire, what ease, what knowledge of Europe and Asia.' β€” Gibbon

Series: Eland classics

View all
  • The Turkish Embassy Letters
    Mary Montagu was one of the most extraordinary characters in the world. She was a self-educated intellectual, a free spirit, a radical, a feminist but also an entitled aristocrat and a society wit with powerful friends at court. In 1716, she travelled across Europe to take up residence in Istanbul as the wife of the British ambassador. Her letters remain...
    Paperback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Three Women of Herat
    In 1973, the Afghans still had a King who ruled from a palace in Kabul with his own resident court of musicians when Veronica set up home in Herat. This Afghan city sat close to the Persian frontier and was fully cognisant of its glorious history as the capital of a once vast Central Asian Empire. Veronica was not a...
    Paperback
    $7700
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • One People
    First published in 1997, it would be hard to find a publisher today for a white, male expatriate writing about the realities of life in a Jamaican hamlet. To make matters worse, Guy Kennaway wrote One People in the local patois. But this comic novel, sparkling with irreverent wit, is cherished in Jamaica where it is recognised for its 'humour...
    Paperback
    $6900
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Turkish Embassy Letters by Mary Wortley Montagu is praised for being one of the finest narrative travel books authored by an Englishwoman, offering rich insights and vivid depictions of 18th-century Turkish culture and society from a unique female perspective.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781780600390

Publisher: Eland Publishing Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 July 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Eland Publishing Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 208

About the Author

Mary Wortley Montagu (nee Pierrepont, 1689-1762) was an English aristocrat, writer, and poet.

More from Travel & Adventure

View all
  • The Salt Path
    The bestselling true story of the couple who lost everything and embarked on a journey not of escape but salvation, soon to be a major motion picture starring Golden Globe winning Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, the couple lose their home and their livelihood. With...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Lonely Planet Japan
    #1 Bestselling guidebook to Japan "Classic. Comprehensive. Crucial." - Library Journal Lonely Planet's local travel experts reveal all you need to know to plan the trip of a lifetime to Japan. Discover popular and off the beaten track experiences from visiting Yoshino for Japan's most famous cherry-blossom-viewing festival to sipping sake at a 300-year-old brewery in Niigata, and exploring the...
    Paperback
    $4100
    Elsewhere:
    $4499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Maintenance: Of Everything
    The first in-depth exploration of maintenance and a powerful argument for its civilisational importance from the author of How Buildings Learn and creator of the Whole Earth Catalog. Maintenance is what keeps everything going. It's what keeps life going. Yet it's also easy to shirk or defer until the thing breaks, the system falters, and everything stops. The apparent paradox...
    Hardback
    $7999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Abroad in Japan
    The hilarious number one bestselling memoir from YouTube sensation Chris Broad, a Brit trying to assimilate into life in Japan as he unravels the wonders and eccentricities of one of the world's most mysterious cultures. When Englishman Chris Broad landed in a rural village in northern Japan, he wondered if he'd made a huge mistake. With no knowledge of the...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Cat's Tales
    Once upon a time, the enchanting creature that is the cat infiltrated our lives – and our folklore. Cats have a long association with the supernatural – from being worshipped as gods in ancient Egypt to vilified as witches’ familiars in Europe – and they appear in countless fairy tales throughout history. Every part of the world has its own...
    Hardback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Penguin Lessons
    Now a major film, this is the true story of an unlikely friendship between a flightless bird and a teacher out of his depth. When schoolteacher Tom Michell pulls a penguin from an oil slick off the coast of Uruguay, he has no idea what to do. Back at his apartment, Tom cleans him, but upon returning to the beach,...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Rambling Man
    THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING HILARIOUS NEW BOOK FROM THE NATION'S FAVOURITE COMEDIAN, BILLY CONNOLLY "Being a Rambling Man was what I always wanted to be, to live the way I damn well pleased. I've met the weirdest and most wonderful people who walk the Earth, seen the most bizarre and the most fantastic sights - and I've rarely come across...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    22% off
    Lonely Planet Pocket Lisbon
    Lonely Planet's Pocket Lisbon is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life - neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Experience the city's most scenic tram routes, find the best pastΓ©is de nata and discover the winding backstreets of Alfama; all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Lisbon and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Cozy Bookshops: Colouring Book
    Cozy Bookshopsβ€”your ultimate escape into a world of bookish bliss and mindful relaxation in 46 adorable scenes, from the coziest book nooks. Wander labyrinthine bookshelves, sink into soft armchairs by roaring fireplaces, and lose yourself in snug, atmospheric corners. Escape, relax, and unwind with this colouring book for all skill levels and bring your own personality. The possibilities are endless!...
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    22% off
    Lonely Planet Pocket Porto
    Lonely Planet's Pocket Porto is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Experience the historic Se cathedral, marvel at the stunning Palacio da Bolsa, and visit peacocks in Jardim do Palacio de Cristal, all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Porto and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Auto Biography
    From one of the world's most popular motor journalists, a highly entertaining, clued-up and panoramic guide to cars. A highly entertaining, clued-up and panoramic guide to cars by Mat Watson, the world's most followed car journalist on social media. Mat Watson knows everything there is to know about cars. In his 25-year career as a motor journalist, he has driven...
    Hardback
    $4600
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Brilliant Maps
    With a foreword by Tim Harford Which nations have North Korean embassies? Which region has the highest number of death metal bands per capita? How many countries have bigger economies than California? Who drives on the 'wrong' side of the road? And where can you find lions in the wild? Revelatory, thought-provoking and fun, Brilliant Maps is a unique atlas...
    Paperback
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.