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Clash of Empires: The Great Siege (2011)

by William Napier

Series: Clash of Empires (1)

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413604,551 (3.67)10
1565: a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean stands gatekeeper between East and West. It is about to become the scene for one of the most amazing stories of bravery, battle, and bloodlust: the siege of Malta. Formed in the Holy Land in the 11th century, a small band of knights had long sought a home. Driven from their lands by Ottoman might, they came to rest in Malta from where they watched the Turks and corsairs raid the Spanish empire. As word came from Constantinople that Malta was in the sights of the Ottoman Empire, all of Europe watched as a force of over 30,000 men besieged the island—itself only peopled by only 500 knights and a few thousand local soldiers. On that small rock an epic struggle will be played out—the story of individual men, warriors and slaves, but also the story of two worlds colliding.… (more)
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Whatever plot there is: pretty thin except for the description of Malta and its people, the sieges of the fort of St. Elmo and of the city of Birgu. The first part of the story, concerning an English teenaged lad, Nicholas--the son of a knight Hospitaller, his friend, Hodge, and two knights of that order, was pretty forgettable. The novel improved as it went along. The two sieges were masterfully written. The author made out Nicholas as some kind of superhero; from knowing nothing about fighting in Part I, he became almost indestructible, learning four languages easily, and a terrible force to be reckoned with. I had never heard of the Grandmaster, la Valette, before. I suppose the non resolution of certain things paves the way for sequels. I liked the Epilog, explaining the further history of Muslim/Christian clashes of that period and la Valette's importance and epitaph. Plot: 2 stars; Malta and the Siege: 4 stars, averaging out to 3 stars.

Only recommended with reservations. ( )
  janerawoof | Apr 18, 2019 |
1565 and the great Sultan Suleiman, ruler of the vast and powerful Ottoman Empire has set his sights on conquering Western Europe. The gateway to the Western Mediterranean is the island of Malta with its excellent harbour. Malta is overseen by the Knights of St John, old enemies of Suleiman but he defeated them in Rhodes and can defeat them again, in order to make this happen he assembles the greatest war armada ever seen. Aware of the impending crisis the Knights send word across Europe asking for support and rallying their former allies and colleagues. In Protestant England the young Catholic Nicholas Ingoldsby has just seen his father killed and his family ruined but, finding that his father was a former Knight of St John, he travels to Malta to aid the cause.

This is the second book I have read this year about the siege of Malta after Tim Willocks' 'The Religion', both are very much about war and battles rather than any engaging fictional narrative. In this case the plot (outside of historical fact) is clumsy, Nicholas abandons his sisters to the poor house, leaves the country and from then on there is no further mention of them. Similarly the 'romance' seems very contrived. In addition we are led to believe that Nicholas is a skilled fighter, outstanding swimmer and brilliant at picking up languages, straight from the get-go. However that's where my cynicism stops...as far as a contribution to the genre goes, this is a thrilling depiction of war and the triumph of the few over the many. A jolly escapist romp. ( )
  pluckedhighbrow | Jun 26, 2017 |
Hard to put down.
  Coasting | Feb 4, 2013 |
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In memory of Steven Thorn 1965-2003 Best of flatmates, best of friends
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My father always told me that there are two things you need to be a great historian.
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1565: a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean stands gatekeeper between East and West. It is about to become the scene for one of the most amazing stories of bravery, battle, and bloodlust: the siege of Malta. Formed in the Holy Land in the 11th century, a small band of knights had long sought a home. Driven from their lands by Ottoman might, they came to rest in Malta from where they watched the Turks and corsairs raid the Spanish empire. As word came from Constantinople that Malta was in the sights of the Ottoman Empire, all of Europe watched as a force of over 30,000 men besieged the island—itself only peopled by only 500 knights and a few thousand local soldiers. On that small rock an epic struggle will be played out—the story of individual men, warriors and slaves, but also the story of two worlds colliding.

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