Golden Throne: The Curse of a King

An immersive reconstruction of the life of the most feared and powerful man of the sixteenth century, from the author of The Lion House

Istanbul, 1538. The greatest of the Ottoman Sultans is at the pinnacle of world power, while his family and future are at the mercy of their own dynastic law- whichever of his five sons succeeds him must eventually kill all the others, so why not get a head start?

Review: Enormously entertaining . . . illuminating . . . vivid . . . action-packed — Pratinav Anil * The Times *Book of the Week* *
A meticulously sourced work of narrative history . . . thrilling . . . Like Mantel, De Bellaigue delivers his story in a mashup of contemporary colloquialism and gorgeous descriptions . . . Sticking closely to the written records, he deploys the skills of the novelist to bring the archive thrillingly to life — Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *
Wolf Hall with sultans and eunuchs . . . vividly evokes the Ottoman emperor’s reign in all its gory glory * The Times *
Epic Mediterranean naval conflicts . . . dangerous realpolitik that creates then murderously shatters alliances . . . At the centre of this web of global political intrigue sits the inscrutable Suleiman . . . [and] the sultan’s attempt to balance his geopolitical scheming with his complex family life akin to a Turkish version of Succession * Financial Times *
Fascinating . . . glittering . . . de Bellaigue swoops through the three-dimensional chess game that was European geopolitics in the mid-16th century with airy confidence — Katie Hickman * Literary Review *
Galloping, novelistic . . . This is not a book simply about dynastic succession . . . The Ottomans were the menacing other that occupied the thoughts of every monarch across the continent. The winner in this game of thrones mattered to them too — Michael Prodger * New Statesman *
Absolutely spectacular. A book that brings the worlds of the Ottomans – and a lot more besides – to life. A triumph — Peter Frankopan
De Bellaigue is at the top of his game. He has made the most captivating Ottoman sultan his own. A thunderously good read — Justin Marozzi

For the next fifteen years, as Suleyman the Magnificent and his terrifying pirate captain Barbarossa face down imperial enemies across two hemispheres, the self-fulfilling curse of the Ottomans gathers its own unstoppable momentum.

From the burning pyres of Paris to the rain-lashed mountains of Transylvania, from Buda to Basra, from Crimea to the coast of India, The Golden Throne is a globe-spanning, ground-breaking reconstruction of the life and world of the most feared and powerful man of the sixteenth century.

Intensely gripping yet entirely historical, it places us in the room with many of the key figures of the era – the conceited, wide-jawed Holy Roman Emperor; the untrustworthy, primping King of France; a leering, beer-soaked Martin Luther – showing them consumed with fury and hurt, venomous yet vulnerable. And it is here, behind closed doors, that we witness Suleyman’s beloved wife Hurrem waging pitiless war against his eldest son, born to her predecessor in the Sultan’s bed, culminating in a chilling act that will define Suleyman’s legacy.

The Golden Throne shows us one of the greatest yet least understood figures in history as never before. It is an epic yet intimate drama of personal power wielded with world-shaping consequences, revealing both the price of succession and the terrible cost of success.

Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
Imprint: Bodley Head UK
Publication date: 06/03/2025