European History : Empires of the Sea The Siege of Malta the Battle of Lepanto and the Contest for the Center of the World
The Enemy at the Gate: Habsburgs, Ottomans, and the Battle for Europe | 
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Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Release Date: 2009-05-12
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Bringing the 16th century Mediterranean to life
Roger Crowley, author of the excellent 1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West, continues his history of the clash between Islam and Christianity after the Middle Ages in Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World. While some Americans know that Europe thwarted the Ottoman land invasion at Vienna, few realize that the Ottoman threat hung over the Mediterranean Sea for much of the 16th century. Crowley deftly covers several of the major sea battles between the Ottoman Empire and Hapsburg Spain, including the siege of Malta and battle of Lepanto.
Crowley has a gift for writing historical narrative. His writing is extremely readable and fluid. History comes alive with several personalities, including Barbarossa the Muslim corsair/pirate who brought terror to coastal Europe; the stern La Valette, Knight of St. John, who raised the drawbridge at Malta to ensure that the fortress defenders would not retreat; and Don Juan, the dashing Spanish prince who pushed his unwilling fleet towards battle at Lepanto.The focus of Empires of the Sea is, of course, the battles, and these are narrated with gripping detail. Crowley lets readers really feel like they are on the galleys, from the way the arrows stuck out of the deck to the noise of the cannons.
My only complaint about Empires of the Sea is that it doesn't provide much background about the Ottoman or Hapsburg Empires. I understand Crowley had to limit that background information he provides in order to focus on the narrative and battles. Still, I suspect many readers will know next to nothing about these empires, which might make them reluctant to invest in the narrative. Fortunately, I did remember quite a bit from my university history courses, but still I felt I could use a brief refresher on key events like the Battle of Vienna, which Crowley barely mentions but defined Ottoman-European relations during the 16th century. I guess my point isn't so much a criticism of Crowley's book as much as it is a suggestion that readers at least browse an article about the history of the Ottomans and Hapsburgs before taking on this book.
Overall, if you generally don't like to read books about European history, Roger Crowley's books might change your mind. If you do like history, then Empires of the Sea will be as exciting and enjoyable as watching the space battles in Star Wars.
Excellent Read
I'm just finishing the book now. It is well written, very interesting, and hard to put down. This was such an enjoyable read that I will be looking to read other books by Crowley.
Great overview!
This is a great overview of the Mediterranean sea battles of the 16th century! I think it was at just the right level: there was a sense of historical overview, and a narrative theme across several decades of conflict, but there were also day-by-day and hour-by-hour breakdowns of the key battles and events.
I had a general idea of the battles between the Ottoman Empire and Europe at the time, but this was the first time I really understood the back-and-forth of dominance of the Mediterranean, and the significance of Malta. Many of the characters were very well brought to life and will stick with me for a while.
Even the bibliography at the end was fun to read through.
Hooked Me in the First 10 Pages
This book is outstanding. In the first half of the book you basically have:
1. The Ottoman Empire which is reaching the apex of its maritime capabilities.
2. The Barbary Pirates of North Africa who are in league with the Ottomans and strike the coastal regions of Europe with impunity.
3. A knightly order left over from the last crusade which plays as "down and dirty" as their Ottoman enemies.
These knights make a stand on the island of Malta ultimately defeating an Ottoman force much larger than their own. Sound like fiction?
Roger Crowley does good job of portraying the dynamics of the time: the desperation of entire Christian communities enslaved, the division of Europe, the power of the Ottoman Empire, the hesitation to commit large naval forces into battle, etc. He also explains the technology of the time including the manpower-intensive galley which represented the ultimate in naval warfare.
It is no small stretch to envision a much different Europe had Lepanto or Malta played out differently. Further, I find that good historical books play up small factors that ultimately decide the outcome. For instance, if Anastagi had not carried out the cavalry charge from Mdina at the critical moment it is likely Malta would have fallen to the Ottomans.
This book reads like fiction with the author making use of foreshadowing. The major characters intertwine in complex ways and often generationally. Like all good story telling you can empathize with all of the characters involved; from Sultans to galley slaves. However you can't help but be shocked by the brutality of the period - all in the name of God. This is one of those books that I literally stayed up too late reading.
I have been reading quite a bit on my Kindle lately and as a result reserve 5 stars for truly exceptional books. I feel compelled to give "Empires of the Sea" 5 stars.
Well Deserved Accolades
Just back from a visit to Venice, I saw Crowley's Empires of the Sea on a bookstore's sale shelf. Intrigues by Venitian history after the visit, Empires of the Sea offered a nice supplement to the trip.
The book was far stronger than I imagined it would be. Bearing in mind that Fernand Braudel's exquisite The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II fills two substantial volumes to cover roughly this same period, Crowley offers but a single rather slim volume to cover the same territory. Yet, Crowley has managed to clearly capture the nuance of the competing forces, the differences in the empires and the sense of the conflict.
Despite the complexity of the period, Crowley has written a history that while not slighting the detail, maintains an even pace throughout and communicates a clear sense of the larger issues at work. This balance makes the book eminently readable and enjoyable.
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