（1） all are echoes of a dynasty that survived for 600 years

（2） “Ottoman” is the European corruption of his name

（3） the empire began to unravel—at times abruptly, at others imperceptibly.

（4） Ms Finkel is ideally placed to make sense of this.

（5） one would have preferred a pruning of the thicket of events and more discussion of what it all means.

（6） The author offers glimpses of a more satisfying book.

（7） Ms Finkel had developed her intriguing defence of the empire in the 19th century, “multi-confessional, geographically incoherent and economically backward”, in the face of demands, on the part of impertinent Europeans, that it reform internally.

（8） As a substitute for an account of what happened, it is a cop-out.