When delving into the sources of Ottoman history, it is common to encounter exaggerated events and legendary figures. Readers are entirely justified in asking, "If even the primary sources are like this, how will we learn our own history?" To answer this, Halil İnalcık—globally revered for his expertise in Ottoman historiography—compiled a special dossier of 18 meticulously researched topics, aptly titled Legends and Realities in Ottoman History.

İnalcık opens the book with the foundational chapters of the empire, examining interactions with the Greeks during the Turkification of Anatolia, the Turkish commander Çaka Bey who conquered Izmir and terrified Byzantium, and the true story of Ertuğrul Gazi based on the latest research. The narrative then delves into surprising and critical events, such as Çelebi Mehmed’s path to power, the crucial three days during the Siege of Constantinople, and the city's eventual conquest.

The following chapters explore the 800-year history of the Straits and Istanbul, the assassination of Sultan Osman II, the most intriguing figure of the civil war era, Kösem Sultan, the deposition and murder of Sultan Ibrahim I, and the role of the Ottomans in the spread of Protestantism in Europe. Featuring original photographs that serve as historical evidence, this book revives a grand empire, allowing readers to either build upon what they have been taught or discover that much of what they knew was merely a myth.