Clash of Empires: The Great Siege

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 show more 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. show less

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 show more 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. show less

Hard to put down.

1565. Una pequeña isla en medio del Mediterráneo constituye el guardián de la puerta que separa Oriente de Occidente y está a punto de convertirse en el escenario de una de las historias más asombrosas de la humanidad sobre valentía, batallas y sed de sangre: el gran asedio de Malta.
En aquella árida roca abrasada por el sol han establecido su hogar los caballeros de la Orden de San Juan, expulsados siglos atrás de Tierra Santa por los ejércitos del islam. Ahora su antiguo enemigo vuelve al acecho y ellos solo cuentan con un puñado de monjes y soldados del lugar para interponerse en su camino. Europa permanece impasible, pero unos cuantos hombres de Inglaterra, Francia o España responderán a su llamada de auxilio. Para todos show more aquellos que andan buscando aventuras o un lugar de huida, Malta significará mucho más de lo que imaginan. show less