On the Back of the Tiger: A Novel

A literary tour-de-force, this vivid account of an infamous Ottoman sultan’s life in exile is also a powerful indictment of the hypocrisies of the West, from the internationally bestselling author of Disquiet.

Abdülhamid II ruled the Ottoman Empire for thirty-three years, from 1876 to 1909, when he was deposed following the Young Turk Revolution and sent into exile in Thessaloniki. Now, more than a century after that fateful night of April 27, Zülfü Livaneli brings to life the fascinating later days of the overthrown sultan, who precipitated the empire’s collapse.

Based on the memoirs of Atıf Hüseyin Bey, personal physician to Abdülhamid and his entourage in exile, this vibrant historical novel explores the nature of power while painting a nuanced psychological portrait of the man who oversaw progressive reforms yet became known as the “Red Sultan” for the Armenian massacres during his reign.