Empires of the sea : the siege of Malta, the battle of Lepanto, and the contest for the center of the world / Roger Crowley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Crowley, Roger, 1951-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Naval battles--History--16th century.

Naval battles.

Naval history, Modern.

Naval history.

History.

Europe--History, Naval.

Europe.

Islam--Relations--Christianity.

Islam.

Relations.

Christianity.

Christianity and other religions--Islam.

Christianity and other religions.

Physical Description:

xvii, 336 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm

Edition:

First U.S. edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Random House, [2008]

Summary:

A thrilling account of the brutal decades-long battle between Christendom and Islam for the soul of Europe. This struggle's brutal climax came between 1565 and 1571, seven years that witnessed a fight to the finish decided in a series of bloody set pieces: the epic siege of Malta, in which a tiny band of Christian defenders defied the might of the Ottoman army; the savage battle for Cyprus; and the apocalyptic last-ditch defense of southern Europe at Lepanto--one of the single most shocking days in world history. At the close of this cataclysmic naval encounter, the carnage was so great that the victors could barely sail away because of the countless corpses floating in the sea. Lepanto fixed the frontiers of the Mediterranean world that we know today.

Contents:

Prologue: Ptolemy's Map xiii

Map: The Mediterranean c. 1560 xviii

Map: The Siege of Malta xx

Map: The Battle of Lepanto xxi

Part 1 Caesars: The Contest for the Sea

Chapter 1 The Sultan Pays a Visit 3

Chapter 2 A Supplication 23

Chapter 3 The King of Evil 34

Chapter 4 The voyage to Tunis 44

Chapter 5 Doria and Barbarossa 57

Chapter 6 The Turkish Sea 66

Part 2 Epicenter: The Battle for Malta

Chapter 7 Nest of Vipers 85

Chapter 8 Invasion Fleet 98

Chapter 9 The Post of Death 108

Chapter 10 The Ravelin of Europe 123

Chapter 11 The Last Swimmers 135

Chapter 12 Payback 142

Chapter 13 Trench Wars 156

Chapter 14 "Malta Yok" 173

Part 3 Endgame: Hurtling to Lepanto

Chapter 15 The Pope's Dream 191

Chapter 16 A Head in a Dish 204

Chapter 17 Famagusta 221

Chapter 18 Christ's General 231

Chapter 19 Snakes to a Charm 242

Chapter 20 "Let's Fight" 255

Chapter 21 Sea of Fire 266

Chapter 22 Other Oceans 278

Epilogue: Traces 289.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [311]-315) and index.

ISBN:

9781400066247

1400066247

OCLC:

164803887