Description

‘Captivating. Kent effortlessly weaves travels that are close to his heart into a bigger story of Turkey’s past and present’ – Mishal Husain
‘A rich, spellbinding book: dense with people, stories, history, colour, lived experience . . . The book is alive on every page’ – Neel Mukherjee, Booker Prize-shortlisted author of The Lives of Others

The Endless Country takes a journey through Turkey’s past – the nation the author’s father left decades ago and he returns to as a young man.

It is not about Erdogan or Ataturk, the two towering Presidents who have book-ended that history, and at times have appeared impossible to escape. Instead Sami Kent’s book goes deep beyond them, revealing a history as rich, layered and absurd as his family’s favourite dessert, kunefe: a shredded wheat pastry with a core of melted cheese, a topping of pistachios, and a drowning of syrup.

From tiny weightlifters to the world’s biggest prison, from a failed socialist commune to a wildly successful orchid ice cream, the book is a tribute to the sheer bewildering diversity of Turkey’s past: its people, their ideas and their struggles.

‘This is surely how history should be told – human, fun, alive’ – The Telegraph

Publisher Review

Turkey’s complicated first century comes to life through Sami Kent’s judiciously chosen stories, which he tells with compassion and depth alongside his search for the meaning of his own heritage. This may not be a comprehensive history, but it is hard to find a more complete insight into a country that few writers really know, and even fewer can explain. — Hannah Lucinda Smith, author of Erdogan Rising Captivating. Kent effortlessly weaves travels that are close to his heart into a bigger story of Turkey’s past and present — Mishal Husain Sami Kent’s journey in search of his father’s country yields a rich, spellbinding book: dense with people, stories, history, colour, lived experience. He is a beguiling and charming guide through the complexities of Turkey. The book is alive on every page. — Neel Mukherjee, Booker Prize-shortlisted author of The Lives of Others