My latest reading has been Shattering Empires by Michael Reynolds.
This book traces relations between the Ottoman and Russian empires from the Young Turk Revolution of 1908 to the end of World War I. It examines Russia's policies toward eastern Anatolia and the Caucasus and how the new Ottoman state responded. The author aims to show how the confrontation between the Ottoman and Russian states contributed to the collapse of both empires by describing the rivalry between the two empires and their downfall between 1908-18.
The book is stronger on the political and diplomatic history of the conflicts, rather than the military operations. The final chapters on the post-1917 campaigns is the strongest from the military historian’s perspective and covers some fascinating campaigns in modern day Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. It also goes some way towards explaining modern conflicts in the region.
Perhaps not a book for the general reader, but if your looking for something different to do with those WW1 Turkish, Russian, and even British and German figures - this might be worth a read.
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