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Loading... Clash of Empires: The Great Siege (2011)by William Napier
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. 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. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to SeriesClash of Empires (1)
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. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.92Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 2000-LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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Only recommended with reservations. ( )