Tauck Tour Director Pens Book

About Harem Life In The Ottoman Empire

NORWALK, CT (October 6, 2008) A Tauck World Discovery tour director with a PhD in Ottoman and Turkish history will have his second book, "The Concubine, the Princess, and the Teacher: Voices from the Ottoman Harem," published next month by the University of Texas Press. The book by Tauck tour director Doug Brookes represents the first English translation of three rare memoirs written by a concubine, a princess and a teacher hired to instruct royal children. Each was a member of an Ottoman sultan’s royal harem between 1876 and 1924. Together, the three memoirs deliver complementary perspectives of harem life at the time.

The book resulted from a chance discovery by Brookes of the concubine’s memoirs at the University of California-Berkeley, where he earned his PhD. Additional research ultimately led Brookes to the discovery of the two additional memoirs, a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and a total of seven years devoted to the project.

A tour director with Tauck (or “Tauck Director” in company parlance) since 1999, Brookes most frequently leads guests on Tauck’s 12-day “Istanbul & The Black Sea” cruise/land tour.

Brookes’ incredible expertise in the region is hardly surprising, according to Tauck CEO Dan Mahar. “I’m continually amazed and impressed by the knowledge of our Tauck Directors,” said Mahar of the company’s 200+ tour directors. “They come to us with an incredible range of backgrounds, a commitment to serving our guests, and a passion for travel. We in turn provide them with everything they need to build a legitimate, long-term career with us.”

Mahar explained that Tauck pays its tour directors some of the industry’s top wages and offers them a full benefits package, from comprehensive health insurance to 401k retirement plans. “Our Tauck Directors demonstrate incredible loyalty to Tauck, and average over ten years of tenure with our company,” said Mahar. “They have an incredible knowledge of the destinations they serve and they know how to ensure our guests enjoy a great experience. Without a doubt, they’re one of the real competitive advantages we enjoy as a company.”

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