Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World

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Description

In 1521, Suleiman the Magnificent, Muslim ruler of the Ottoman Empire at the height of its power, dispatched an invasion fleet to the Christian island of Rhodes. This would prove to be the opening shot in an epic struggle between rival empires and faiths for control of the Mediterranean and the center of the world.

In Empires of the Sea, acclaimed historian Roger Crowley has written his most mesmerizing work to date–a thrilling account of this brutal decades-long battle between Christendom and Islam for the soul of Europe, a fast-paced tale of spiraling intensity that ranges from Istanbul to the Gates of Gibraltar and features a cast of extraordinary characters: Barbarossa, “The King of Evil,” the pirate who terrified Europe; the risk-taking Emperor Charles V; the Knights of St. John, the last crusading order after the passing of the Templars; the messianic Pope Pius V; and the brilliant Christian admiral Don Juan of Austria.

This struggle’s brutal climax came between 1565 and 1571, seven years that witnessed a fight to the finish decided in a series of bloody set pieces: the epic siege of Malta, in which a tiny band of Christian defenders defied the might of the Ottoman army; the savage battle for Cyprus; and the apocalyptic last-ditch defense of southern Europe at Lepanto–one of the single most shocking days in world history. At the close of this cataclysmic naval encounter, the carnage was so great that the victors could barely sail away “because of the countless corpses floating in the sea.” Lepanto fixed the frontiers of the Mediterranean world that we know today.

Roger Crowley conjures up a wild cast of pirates, crusaders, and religious warriors struggling for supremacy and survival in a tale of slavery and galley warfare, desperate bravery and utter brutality, technology and Inca gold. Empires of the Sea is page-turning narrative history at its best–a story of extraordinary color and incident, rich in detail, full of surprises, and backed by a wealth of eyewitness accounts. It provides a crucial context for our own clash of civilizations.

Customer reviews for 'Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World'

Fascinating review of Naval Warfare in the 16th Century

Empires of the Sea brings life to the most important Naval conflicts of the the 16th Century. The dramatic battles of The Siege of Malta, and the Battle of Lepanto are detailed from historic records. It is one book you would want to put down. This Dentist from Denver Colorado found it fascinating to see the roots of the current conflicts between Islam and Christianity have been growing strong for a 1000 years. It you are interested in learning about one of the greatest naval conflicts of all time, don't pass on this book.

[Monday, September 01, 2008]

Excellent read!

Very well written and paced. I read this book in 5 days over vacation and could not put it down. I'm reading his other book 1453 next.

[Monday, September 01, 2008]

fascinating

not a student of this subject - it sure opened my eyes - well written - kind of like Erik
Larsen's (Devil in the White City) powers of description - or more so

[Monday, August 25, 2008]

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