[MONTENEGRO ARMY] Karadag ve ordusu: Karadag'in ahvâl-i târihiyye ve cogrâfiyyesiyle kûvve-i askeriyyesinden bahisdir. [i.e. The army of Montenegro: History, geography and military forces of Montenegro]

MEHMED SUBHI, Kütüphâne-i Islâm ve Askerî - Tüccarzâde Ibrahim Hilmi / Feridiye Matbaasi, Kostantiniyye [Constantinople - Istanbul], [AH 1317] = 1901.

Original pistachio green fine cloth, art-nouveau decorations and author and title lettered gilt on front board and attractive publisher's logo (Tüccarzâde Ibrahim Hilmi) on rear board. Cr. 8vo. (19,5x14 cm). In Ottoman script (Old Turkish with Arabic letters). 92, [3] p., an attractive folded chromo-lithograph map of Montenegro (44x32 cm, in 1/200.000 scale), printed only for this book in the end-pocket, and five numbered attractive b/w and color-lithograph plates.

First and only edition of this uncommonly scarce, pictorial, and attractive book on the structure and organization of the Montenegrin Army, published to be taught in the Ottoman Military Schools at the beginning of the 20th century. The book has very attractive chromo-lithograph plates which were lithographed by Papeterie F. Loeffler, a German stationer located at the Place du Tunnel in the Pera quarter of Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey. The firm was a lithography printer as well as a book and postcard publisher located at 585-587, rue de Téke in Pera (Beyoglu).

This book was written by Mehmed Subhi, an officer in the Ottoman army, deals with the military relations between Montenegro and the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, as well as the place and importance of the Montenegrin army in the Balkan armies, its structure, and organization and history.

Stating that the number of soldiers of the Montenegrin army in the war with the Ottoman Empire in Grahova in 1858 was around 5500, the author gives figures on how many soldiers the Prince gathered for various wars before and after this. The author, who gives information about the history and geography of Montenegro at the beginning of the book, deals with the structure of the army in detail from page 50. The attractive plates of the book depict of uniforms of Montenegrin soldiers, their ranks, medals, orders, and flags.

Library of Congress. Karl Süssheim Collection, no. 1299.; Özege 10184.