Empires of the Sand : The Struggle for Mastery in the Middle East, 1789-1923 by Efraim Karsh, Inari Karsh (Editor).  A new approach to the topic that argues that the Ottoman empire was much more competent and vigorous than the traditional 'Sick Man of Europe' stereotype.  Especially interesting to read this book in conjunction with some of the more traditional approaches like Goodwin and Fromkin.