Empires of the Sea shows the Mediterranean as a majestic and bloody theatre of war. Opening with the Ottoman victory in 1453 it is a breathtaking story of military crusading, Barbary pirates, white slavery and the Ottoman Empire - and the larger picture of the struggle between Islam and Christianity. Coupled with dramatic set piece battles, a wealth of riveting first-hand accounts, epic momentum and a terrific denouement at Lepanto, this is a work of history at its broadest and most compelling.
Empires of the Sea
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Review
'A gripping narrative account of several decades which really did shape the modern world.'
-- Michael Kerrigan, Scotsman
'Crowley succeeds in turning the events of 500 years ago into a thrilling spectacle.' -- James W. Wood, Scotsman
'Magnificent ... Crowley shows a novelist's eye for vivid scene painting.' -- Christopher Hart, Sunday Times
'Nothing less than thrilling. [Crowley's] descriptions of the great set pieces - the siege of Malta and the battle of Lepanto - left me holding my breath.' -- Michael Prodger, Sunday Telegraph Books of the Year
'This is a first-class narrative history, splendidly illustrated with old-fashioned engravings.' -- Christopher Silvester, Daily Telegraph
'[It] is an account of human beings under extraordinary circumstances... This is narrative history at its most gripping.' -- Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph
`Amazing narrative power as well as an even-handed approach to the grisly horrors endured by Christians and Muslims alike.' -- Antonia Fraser, History Today Books of the Year
`Glorious narrative history.' -- Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Telegraph
`There is a certain British genius for Boys' Own Paper military history, and Roger Crowley has it.'
-- Norman Stone, Guardian Book of the Week
`This rousing account ... has everything ... [Crowley's] scholarship is sure-footed, and his narrative skills an old-fashioned delight.' -- Andrew Holgate, Sunday Times, History Book of the Year --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
-- Michael Kerrigan, Scotsman
'Crowley succeeds in turning the events of 500 years ago into a thrilling spectacle.' -- James W. Wood, Scotsman
'Magnificent ... Crowley shows a novelist's eye for vivid scene painting.' -- Christopher Hart, Sunday Times
'Nothing less than thrilling. [Crowley's] descriptions of the great set pieces - the siege of Malta and the battle of Lepanto - left me holding my breath.' -- Michael Prodger, Sunday Telegraph Books of the Year
'This is a first-class narrative history, splendidly illustrated with old-fashioned engravings.' -- Christopher Silvester, Daily Telegraph
'[It] is an account of human beings under extraordinary circumstances... This is narrative history at its most gripping.' -- Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph
`Amazing narrative power as well as an even-handed approach to the grisly horrors endured by Christians and Muslims alike.' -- Antonia Fraser, History Today Books of the Year
`Glorious narrative history.' -- Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Telegraph
`There is a certain British genius for Boys' Own Paper military history, and Roger Crowley has it.'
-- Norman Stone, Guardian Book of the Week
`This rousing account ... has everything ... [Crowley's] scholarship is sure-footed, and his narrative skills an old-fashioned delight.' -- Andrew Holgate, Sunday Times, History Book of the Year --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
A major success in hardback, this is one of the most gripping and exciting stories ever told of an epic period of international warfare.
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67 of 68 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The conflict between Ottoman Turkey and Christian Spain for mastery of the Mediterranean basin had a huge influence on the development of the modern world, yet is probably not something you know very much about, even if you studied history at school. Roger Crowley deals with the key period of this struggle during the 16th Century in a page-turner of a narrative peopled with almost larger-than-life personalities - Suleiman the Magnificent, Bluebeard the Pirate (actually there were father and son Bluebeards) - Andrea Doria, the mercenary Admiral, and a supporting cast of Kings and Popes. What becomes clear is how very close the Ottomans came to extending their Empire into France, Italy and Spain, and how much better organised they were than the European powers who faced them.
The centrepiece of the book is the siege of Malta. The heroism of the defenders would not be believed if it were fiction, and the complex tale is told with exemplary clarity.
You may find parallels in the 21st Century, but Roger Crowley wisely doesn't labour them. Read it twice!
The centrepiece of the book is the siege of Malta. The heroism of the defenders would not be believed if it were fiction, and the complex tale is told with exemplary clarity.
You may find parallels in the 21st Century, but Roger Crowley wisely doesn't labour them. Read it twice!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Read a review in the Wall St. Journal which wetted my appetite. Being a history buff it intrigued me. The book was an excellent read, covering the Seige of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto and the Contest for the Center of the World in the sixteenth century. The constant battle for supremacy in the Christian/Muslim world with it's shattering disregard for human life. After it was all over little had really changed and that state of affairs continues to this day. Magnificent descriptions of battles, especially the sea battle at Lepanto which is described as "Europe's Trafalgar" during which 40,000 were killed in four hours and really ended the crusades of the time.
There is a lot to relate to in today's world.
There is a lot to relate to in today's world.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By Kentspur
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
This is a pacy, easy-to-read overview of the steady westward movement of the Ottoman Empire in the Sixteenth century Mediterrean and it's crunching full stop at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Like the many books on the Crusades, it has modern resonances and maintains an even-handedness throughout.
The strengths are the descriptions of the siege of Malta- in particular - and the cataclysmic battle of Lepanto. The weaknesses are a little bit of 'reaching' to make this area, perhaps, more fundamental to modern Europe than it actually was - describing the conflict as a 'world war' for example and the failure to convey what the combatants in a naval battle are actually trying to do or achieve. How does a sea battle 'work'? I am sure the author was trying to avoid the level of detail that takes a book like this - very much a popular history - into a military history sales cul-de-sac, but I felt this undercut some of the tension. The siege description was far more gripping.
Nevertheless in a decent epilogue, Roger Crowley makes the pithy point that rising prices and cheap labour costs in the Christian West did as much to undermine the Ottomans as Don Juan's galleys. Capitalism wins again!
The strengths are the descriptions of the siege of Malta- in particular - and the cataclysmic battle of Lepanto. The weaknesses are a little bit of 'reaching' to make this area, perhaps, more fundamental to modern Europe than it actually was - describing the conflict as a 'world war' for example and the failure to convey what the combatants in a naval battle are actually trying to do or achieve. How does a sea battle 'work'? I am sure the author was trying to avoid the level of detail that takes a book like this - very much a popular history - into a military history sales cul-de-sac, but I felt this undercut some of the tension. The siege description was far more gripping.
Nevertheless in a decent epilogue, Roger Crowley makes the pithy point that rising prices and cheap labour costs in the Christian West did as much to undermine the Ottomans as Don Juan's galleys. Capitalism wins again!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A roller coaster ride!
This is a non stop page turner. Historically accurate but written in a, for me, "Boys Own" rip roaring way. Very gripping and left me with a lot of "what if? Read more
Published 6 days ago by D. Heaney
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant piece of history
An excellent book on a period in history not well known or discussed.The writer took me by surprise by his concise and not biased writing. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Giorgos Karagiannis
4.0 out of 5 stars
Soundly researched book on an often-overlooked part of European...
Very thorough reporting of the military campaigns, though the political motives of the players could be more thorough. I found the writing occasionally turgid. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr C Lawrencce
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a story
This is a book I didn't want to put down. It is just a great, well written story. Some of the things that went on then were unbelievable. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jim Voorhout
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fascinating read by an author who knows how to engage the reader
Mister Crowley should consider fiction writting. That isn't a reflection on this books academic merit, but on the way he manages to turn history into a page turner. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Palexr
5.0 out of 5 stars
Valletta
Possibly the most enjoyable book I have ever read. A real page turner. Compelling. Must be the best author on this period of history, Roger Crowley, writes with verve and... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Nobby
5.0 out of 5 stars
An absolutely fantastic read
I can't really add much more to what has been said about this book except that it is an absolutely fantastic read. I was rooted from start to finish. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mr. H. T. K. Sanders
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent read
I really enjoyed this book. It was a pleasure to read, and is both interesting and exciting in equal measure. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Andy
5.0 out of 5 stars
fabulous
thanks, great book I read it. every sentence and enjoyed and learned from every one, thank you for an inspiring read
Published 7 months ago by Simon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Empires Of The Sea
This is an excellent book and should be compulsary reading for all British politicians in order to understand what was happening in other parts of Europe at the time. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Music Lover
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