Since the earliest times, the history of Europe has been inextricably bound up with peoples and cultures from the east. It is an extraordinarily rich and complex relationship. Not only was Europe born and defined out of this relationship, but at every stage in its history it was intimately affected by the lands to the east. ⸺ Warwick Ball (2013). “Sultans Of Rome: The Turkish World Expansion” (1st edition). Series Introduction.