Book reviews, titles received and recommended reading.

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THE MYSTERY OF ISTANBUL (15 January 2002)
Set in Ottoman Istanbul, Orhan Pamuk's My Name is Red is a beautiful novel which blends fact with fiction to relate a compelling tale of murder and intrigue. Our author, a research assistant at Oxford University's Ashmolean Museum, examines the accuracy of the book's historical detail while considering the effectiveness of Pamuk's prose.

THE MOVEABLE PALACE (20 December 2001)
More than 20 years ago Nurhan Atasoy, one of Turkey's best loved scholars, had the idea of studying and writing about the tented world of the Ottoman court – the palace on the move. Earlier this year, in co-ordination with the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, Atasoy published Ottoman Tents of the Imperial Palace, to date the most comprehensive work on the subject.

TRANSLUCENT BEAUTY (10 October 2001)
The use of glass in the manufacture of both everyday and luxury objects has an ancient history. In the lands of Islam it took on new influence and prestige, becoming one of the most valued traditions in the Islamic arts. Glass from Islamic Lands, by Stefano Carboni, a catalogue of the al-Sabah Collection, is a study of this fascinating craft. Reviewed by Professor Michael Rogers.

THE BOOK OF THE BOOK (24 August 2001)
Two exquisite 18th century Tibetan divination manuscripts have been reproduced for the first time in their entirety in a lavish new publication, with translations and commentary by Dr Gyurme Dorje. Reviewed by Dr Jane Casey Singer.

INTIMATE WORLDS (19 July 2001)
Indian paintings recently exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art are now the subject of a compelling book, Intimate Worlds: Indian Paintings from the Alvin O Bellak Collection. Reviewed by Naman Ahuja.

COLONIAL COMFORTS (11 July 2001)
Dr Amin Jaffer's 'Furniture from British India and Ceylon, the first serious book devoted to Anglo-Indian furniture, is sure to remain an indispensable reference work for years to come. Reviewed by Pedro de Moura Carvalho.

A COLLECTOR'S CHOICE (27 June 2001)
Well-known scholar and author Regina Krahl's latest book, Yuegutang: A Collection of Ceramics in Berlin, focuses on a private collection that comprises, in the main, vernacular wares from the Neolithic period to the Ming dynasty. Reviewed by Gordon Lang.

JAPAN'S TEXTILE RICHES REVEALED (13 June 2001)
A selection of both luxury and so-called folk textiles and garments features in the AEDTA's last publication. Traditional Costumes and Textiles of Japan makes an important contribution to our understanding and appreciation of the richness and diversity of Japanese textiles and dress. Reviewed by Anna Jackson.

GOOD BOOK, GREAT PICTURES (10 May 2001)
Thai murals are characterised by bright colours, excellent draughtsmanship and plentiful detail. Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings, by Santi Leksukhum with photographs by Gilles Mermet, is a sumptuously illustrated record of this revered art form. Reviewed by Alexandra Green.

BAULE – VERY MUCH ALIVE THANKS! (9 May 2001)
A beautifully illustrated catalogue of 'classical' sculpture from the Côte d'Ivoire, recently on view at Galerie Walu in Zurich (25 January - 21 April 2001), presents the Baule as a dying people with a dying culture. Reviewed by Nigel Barley.

RICHES BENEATH THE SANDS (22 March 2001)
Legacy of the Desert King, edited by Feng Zhao and Zhiyong Yu, is a well-presented interim report on the jin textiles, costumes and other finds from ancient Chinese tombs in Niya. Reviewed by Irene Good.

DEFINING AFRICAN ART (23 February 2001)
Published to coincide with next month's opening of the Sainsbury African Galleries at the British Museum, Africa: Arts and Cultures, edited by John Mack, is a useful introduction to African art. Reviewed by Mario Pissarra.

A WALK IN THE PAST (17 January 2001)
Rumah Baba. Life in a Peranakan House by Peter Lee and Jennifer Chen is a beautifully illustrated book about life in the Chinese Straits during the first decades of the 20th century. Reviewed by Kunang Helmi-Picard.

THE DATING GAME (9 October 2000)
Jürg Rageth's Anatolian Kilims & Radiocarbon Dating: A New Approach to Dating Anatolian Kilims is a groundbreaking book that will radically change dating in rug scholarship. Richard Isaacson sings the praises of this new approach.

THE EKPU LEGACY (8 September 2000)
Ekpu: The Oron Ancestor Figures of South Eastern Nigeria by Keith Nicklin is as much about these wooden figures as a tribute to Kenneth Murray, who pioneered the first detailed work on the subject.

A BOOK OF EXTREMES (7 September 2000)
Ahmet Ertug's mammoth Anatolian Carpets: Masterpieces from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Istanbul was designed to be the most comprehensive, high quality carpet book that modern technology could buy. Jon Thompson reviews the varied result.

EXPLORING CHINESE CULTURE THROUGH SILK (21 August 2000)
Treasures in Silk by Feng Zhao presents a comprehensive history of silk weaving in China, and includes much new information gleaned from recent archaeological discoveries. Reviewed by Claudia Brittenham.

A REGAL AFFAIR (16 June 2000)
Costumes and Textiles of Royal India by Rita Rumar is a richly-illustrated volume recording the evolution of courtly dress, from ancient India to its establishment as a democratic nation. Reviewed by Deborah Hutton.

ISLAMIC ART EXPLAINED (26 May 2000)
Renowned Islamicist Robert Hillenbrand's entry-level book Islamic Art and Architecture proves a worthy addition to the World Of Art series. Ed Grace explains.

THE DIVINE FEMININE (9 May 2000)
Naman Ahuja reviews Devi, The Great Goddess, which features a selection of essays and a catalogue raisonnée based on the 1999 exhibition on this Indian divinity at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

CONSERVATION FOR THE HOME (13 April 2000)
Alexandra Seth-Smith reviews Preserving Textiles: A Guide for the Nonspecialist by Harold Mailand and Dorothy Alig, an invaluable reference work on the management and presentation of costumes and textiles.

MENTAWAI IN FOCUS (20 January 2000)
The tribal art traditions from the enigmatic Mentawai are documented in a colourful book which coincided with a Chicago show.

A NEW DAWN FOR MOROCCAN STUDIES (15 December 1999)
Kurt Rainer's documentation of Moroccan carpet weaving in the High Atlas region strikes a blow against the welter of general books on the subject.

ATATÜRK EXPLAINED (8 December 1999)
Dr Andrew Mango's compelling biography of Kemal Atatürk successfully catalogues the complex events that marked the end of the Ottoman empire and the birth of the Turkish Republic.

PRIVATE LIVES (12 October 1999)
John Freely's Inside the Seraglio looks at the private lives of the Ottoman dynasty's sultans. Godfrey Goodwin finds that these tales can often be as fictitious as they are titillating, making this a compulsive read.

WOVEN CARGOES (29 September 1999)
John Guy's books unveils the Indian textiles trade in South East and East Asia: one of the world's greatest untold stories of Asian design history. Angela Bliss reviews it.

DEEP BLUES (6 September 1999)
Born into slavery, Bill Traylor has become an almost mythical figure in American folk art. Alex Butterworth considers Deep Blues, a fascinating book including the artist's "compellingly naïve" work and documentary photographs of the daily life of African Americans in the southern states.

EUROPEANS IN CHINA (10 June 1999)
Tall, lean and bearded, the mummies recently excavated in western China just don't look Chinese. Jon Thompson reads (and rereads) Elizabeth Wayland Barber's 'Mummies of Urumchi' and despite some gratuitous popularism finds its multi-disciplinary approach effective.