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Book Description
'I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN, AND THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR DAYS' Jean M. Auel
Product Description
Nico and Maria, Maltese brother and sister, are separated when young Nico is abducted by Moorish slavers. Taken to Algiers to be the personal slave of a wealthy merchant, he becomes a pawn in household politics and sets out to escape. Extraordinary events lead him to the court of Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan of the Ottomans. Stranded alone on Malta, Maria must learn to survive helped only by a group of Jewish refugees. A sweeping historical epic set against the backdrop of the desperate conflict between Christian Europe and the Islamic Ottoman Empire, The Sword and the Scimitar vividly portrays an irresistible and fast-moving world of adventure, war, treachery and love. Praise for The Sword and the Scimitar'Boris Pasternak did it. So did James Clavell, James Michener and Jean Auel. Like them, Ball has built an action-packed, often erotic and always sensual epic-adventure' Chicago Sun-Times (20030513)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
First of all this book is very good and I couldn't put it down until the last page. It also covers the historical events of its time in a good and detailed way. Although in general it tries to be in equal distance from both sides (Christains(Order of St. John) and Muslims(Ottomans) of 16th century) by giving the good and bad aspects of both civilizations but when it comes to the human factor it is clearly biased against the Ottomans(or Turks, or Muslims. The distinction disappears throughout the book). There isn't even a single Ottoman with a good character in the book. All of them are portrayed as blood-thirsty savages, looking for sex, rape and profit. When it comes to Christians though, all the characters get a chance to show their good aspects even if they're worse than their Muslim counterparts.
e.g. even the priest in the book, who rapes one of the female characters at the beginning of the book, gets portrayed as a -good- person at the end of the book. But I must give credit to the author for at least highlighting the fact that the Ottoman Empire was based on the values of talents of human beings but not their race.
e.g. even the priest in the book, who rapes one of the female characters at the beginning of the book, gets portrayed as a -good- person at the end of the book. But I must give credit to the author for at least highlighting the fact that the Ottoman Empire was based on the values of talents of human beings but not their race.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is probably the best historical novel I have ever read, bringing to life the Ottoman Empire, the Knights of St John and the siege of Malta. All characters are realistic and engaging and I was always interested in what would happen to them. The parallel stories of the different characters (in Malta, Algiers, France, Istanbul) are brought together perfectly in the final Great Siege (described in all its brutality and drama), and even on the very last page (771) there is a unexpected little twist which adds an additional interest to the whole great story. As the early action moved from one character and place to another, I was always disappointed to leave that section, but was always immediately gripped by the episode which followed. I hope David Ball is writing another novel, for I will certainly buy it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
as a maltese, i love reading books about the great siege. You'll make a good investment if you buy it. I recommend also The Religion and Blood Rock which are also 2 great books about the great siege.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
An excellent read
It is a good account of the Maltese perspective but also a gripping fictional book. The characters were well developed and the writer keeps your interest until the end.
Published 12 months ago by Miss S Harrison
A Thrilling Account!
This book had me captivated from start to finish. I love Malta and as an artist I am constantly inspired by its buildings, fortifications and terrain - see my "Malta Series" on my... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Ms Jennifer M. Cook
Good story but too long
I read this as part of our book club which was good as I may not have persevered unless I had to and in the end the story was quite gripping. Read more
Published 16 months ago by leekandpotato
Siege of Malta epic leaves me cold
The book: young sister and brother Maria and Nico are Maltese, and poor. Nico gets kidnapped by Barbary corsairs; Maria escapes. Read more
Published 23 months ago by H. Beentje
Should be a No1 best seller
This a great book and should be a bestseller. If you like Malta you will love the history and intrigue of this book. Read more
Published on 4 Aug 2009 by K. Patterson
poor end result
the system for order and delivery were all fine. but the book i received was a battered mess. very 2nd hand. so when compared to other items purchased i was dissappointed.
Published on 7 July 2009 by Andrew B. Marsh
Epic
The sword and the scimitar is a great read, if this was a film it would be an epic. I have no idea of the accuracy of the period in history or of the events that are depicted but... Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2009 by C. J. P
Racist book.
After reading this book, I am convinced the author has let his personal predilictions run riot. From the very beginning, the book portrayed the Muslims as savages and the crusaders... Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2007 by Suhail Ahmad
Readable but not quite great
An entertain story though perhaps a little simplistic from a historical perspective. Yet it presents an interesting insight into life in the 16th centaury and is sympathetic to... Read more
Published on 9 July 2007 by Ibrahim Ali
Vividly brings to life an often overlooked period of history
Spanning a period of over a quarter of a century from the Malta childhood of the two principal characters, "The Sword and the Scimitar" culminates in the siege of the island in... Read more
Published on 18 Jun 2007 by Seamus Martin
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