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Product Description
Book Description
In 1521, Suleiman the Magnificent, ruler of the Ottoman Empire, sent an invasion fleet to Rhodes. This was the start of a sixty-year epic struggle between rival empires and faiths for the control of the Mediterranean that will shape the Mediterranean world as we know it today. In this sweeping narrative history, acclaimed historian Roger Crowley takes us from Istanbul to the Gates of Gibraltar, bringing bloody, epic battles like the siege of Malta to vivid life.
About the Author
Roger Crowley read English at Cambridge before going to live in Istanbul. He now works in publishing and lives in Gloucestershire. Constantinople, his first book (2005) was described by Noel Malcolm in the Sunday Telegraph as 'a powerful telling of an extraordinary story, presented with a clarity and a confidence that most academic historians would envy'.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining narrative history,
By
This review is from: Empires Of The Sea (Paperback)
The author of this book is a great storyteller, with a particular flair for describing sieges. There are three major "setpiece" sieges in the book (Rhodes, Malta, Cyprus), all of which are treated with a good amount of narrative detail. The book gives a good sense of the "feel" of the era; especially descriptive are its portrayal of the Ottoman court, its description of the conditions on 16th century galleys, and the sense it gives of the massive damage caused by the corsairs. The book closes with a treatment of the key naval battle of Lepanto, an important moral victory for the Europeans, with the long-term effect of reversing the balance of naval power in the Meditteranean. Overall, very interesting and informative.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bringing the 16th century Mediterranean to life,
By Enjolras - Published on Amazon.com
Roger Crowley, author of the excellent 1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West, continues his history of the clash between Islam and Christianity after the Middle Ages in Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World. While some Americans know that Europe thwarted the Ottoman land invasion at Vienna, few realize that the Ottoman threat hung over the Mediterranean Sea for much of the 16th century. Crowley deftly covers several of the major sea battles between the Ottoman Empire and Hapsburg Spain, including the siege of Malta and battle of Lepanto.Crowley has a gift for writing historical narrative. His writing is extremely readable and fluid. History comes alive with several personalities, including Barbarossa the Muslim corsair/pirate who brought terror to coastal Europe; the stern La Valette, Knight of St. John, who raised the drawbridge at Malta to ensure that the fortress defenders would not retreat; and Don Juan, the dashing Spanish prince who pushed his unwilling fleet towards battle at Lepanto.The focus of Empires of the Sea is, of course, the battles, and these are narrated with gripping detail. Crowley lets readers really feel like they are on the galleys, from the way the arrows stuck out of the deck to the noise of the cannons. My only complaint about Empires of the Sea is that it doesn't provide much background about the Ottoman or Hapsburg Empires. I understand Crowley had to limit that background information he provides in order to focus on the narrative and battles. Still, I suspect many readers will know next to nothing about these empires, which might make them reluctant to invest in the narrative. Fortunately, I did remember quite a bit from my university history courses, but still I felt I could use a brief refresher on key events like the Battle of Vienna, which Crowley barely mentions but defined Ottoman-European relations during the 16th century. I guess my point isn't so much a criticism of Crowley's book as much as it is a suggestion that readers at least browse an article about the history of the Ottomans and Hapsburgs before taking on this book. Overall, if you generally don't like to read books about European history, Roger Crowley's books might change your mind. If you do like history, then Empires of the Sea will be as exciting and enjoyable as watching the space battles in Star Wars. 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unputdownable!!!!,
By Paul "Paul" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Empires Of The Sea (Hardcover)
This book is fantastic. If you have an interest in Mediterranean history and are looking for a fantastic storey as well as the facts this is an amazing book by Roger Crowley. When I finished this book I started it all over again immediately! No wonder it was the sunday times history book of the year for 2008! Well done!
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