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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
informative
fast-paced
I need to caveat this rating: the writing and research seem to be quite good. However, I’m not a fan of reading accounts of battles (snoozefest!) and was only persuaded to read this by my brother, who must actually enjoy this sort of thing. So, admittedly, I skimmed most of this book but learned all sorts of new things, including the disgusting and terrible ways people murder each other when they hate each other’s religion & ethnicity. Also: did not realize the scale of galleys as a form of warfare or quite how many people were enslaved and killed to man them.
I think what I’m trying to say is if you really like in-depth descriptions of historical battles, you’d probably love this book; if not, don’t believe your siblings’ recommendations.
I think what I’m trying to say is if you really like in-depth descriptions of historical battles, you’d probably love this book; if not, don’t believe your siblings’ recommendations.
As a Dutchman thinking of Spain in the 16th century always has been thinking of the American conquests and the empire's struggle with the rise of Protestantism, and the subsequent Dutch revolt. Little did I know that the Habsburgs were fighting another important war at the Mediterranean against another superpower, the Ottoman empire. More than the rage against reformation this was also a holy war - a clash between Christianity and Islam, a clash of cultures that started with the crusades and more or less has re-emerged this very day.
Crowley, however, focuses on a specific period in which in essence this battle was one between the Habsburg and Ottoman empires, culminating in the great siege of Malta in 1565. He tells a little about what happened before, but soon plunges immediately into the Mediterranean battlefield when Suleiman the great declares war to the little Christian isle of Rhodos...
What follows is a remarkably vivid telling of raids, sea battles, sieges, pillages, piracy and slavery. The Mediterranean was indeed a far less sunny spot in those days than now! Unfortunately it remains a little unclear why and if the Mediterranean battle really ended with the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. After that it became less a battle between Spain and Turkey, but otherwise the Ottoman marine threat was far from gone after the 1580 peace treaty between the two superpowers. Moreover, we're left in the dark on what happened to the Muslim pirates after the siege of Malta. In his conclusion the author dwells too shortly on these matters. But his tale of the years of 1521 to 1571 are an enlightening and entertaining read on a surprisingly little known world war indeed!
Crowley, however, focuses on a specific period in which in essence this battle was one between the Habsburg and Ottoman empires, culminating in the great siege of Malta in 1565. He tells a little about what happened before, but soon plunges immediately into the Mediterranean battlefield when Suleiman the great declares war to the little Christian isle of Rhodos...
What follows is a remarkably vivid telling of raids, sea battles, sieges, pillages, piracy and slavery. The Mediterranean was indeed a far less sunny spot in those days than now! Unfortunately it remains a little unclear why and if the Mediterranean battle really ended with the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. After that it became less a battle between Spain and Turkey, but otherwise the Ottoman marine threat was far from gone after the 1580 peace treaty between the two superpowers. Moreover, we're left in the dark on what happened to the Muslim pirates after the siege of Malta. In his conclusion the author dwells too shortly on these matters. But his tale of the years of 1521 to 1571 are an enlightening and entertaining read on a surprisingly little known world war indeed!
adventurous
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
tense
fast-paced
Empires of the Sea was a surprisingly fascinating book. Perhaps it was my low expectations, but I think it had more to do with the centralized, linear storytelling and cast. The author chose to focus tightly on a handful of major events and actors in the mid-16th century. This myopic view was of immense benefit to the book, in my opinion. What Roger Crowley laid out was nothing short of extraordinary.
Crowley focuses tightly on a handful of powerful men in Spain, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire. Some of the most interesting portraits described Barbarossa (a Barbary Corsair-turned-Ottoman Admiral), Suleiman the Magnificent (quite possibly the most famous Ottoman Sultan ever), King Charles of Spain (Lawful Neutral Tyrion Lannister), and Popes (not so) Pius V and the (significantly more) Pius IV. In the book’s closing pages, I felt like this story would make an excellent HBO miniseries. It has many of the hallmarks of a hit show: epic battles for control of an entire sea, power-hungry personalities vying for control, and stalwart knights and corsairs fighting to the death for faith, king, and country. If you changed the character and location names in Empires of the Sea and said it was the basis of a new Game of Thrones spin-off, I’d believe you.
There are two events in the book that held my attention completely: the Siege of Malta and the Battle of Lepanto. The Siege of Malta occupies over half the book. Crowley explains it, it’s significance, and the events leading up to it in breathtaking detail. Yet never does it feel tedious. He moves the plot along at a sometimes dizzying pace. Suffice it to say that the chapters on the Siege of Malta are some of the most fascinating writing I have read in recent months. The equally important (at least in the eyes of Roger Crowley) Battle of Lepanto is one of history’s largest naval battles. It was of sufficient importance to Christians that it United Catholics and Protestants alike. Anything that can bridge that gap—especially in the 16th century—is worth studying.
If you like naval battles and/or medieval warfare, this needs to be a must read. If you don’t like those, this is worthy of a read anyway. It sheds some much-needed light on a war that changed history; a truly watershed moment. Empires of the Sea is very good.
Crowley focuses tightly on a handful of powerful men in Spain, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire. Some of the most interesting portraits described Barbarossa (a Barbary Corsair-turned-Ottoman Admiral), Suleiman the Magnificent (quite possibly the most famous Ottoman Sultan ever), King Charles of Spain (Lawful Neutral Tyrion Lannister), and Popes (not so) Pius V and the (significantly more) Pius IV. In the book’s closing pages, I felt like this story would make an excellent HBO miniseries. It has many of the hallmarks of a hit show: epic battles for control of an entire sea, power-hungry personalities vying for control, and stalwart knights and corsairs fighting to the death for faith, king, and country. If you changed the character and location names in Empires of the Sea and said it was the basis of a new Game of Thrones spin-off, I’d believe you.
There are two events in the book that held my attention completely: the Siege of Malta and the Battle of Lepanto. The Siege of Malta occupies over half the book. Crowley explains it, it’s significance, and the events leading up to it in breathtaking detail. Yet never does it feel tedious. He moves the plot along at a sometimes dizzying pace. Suffice it to say that the chapters on the Siege of Malta are some of the most fascinating writing I have read in recent months. The equally important (at least in the eyes of Roger Crowley) Battle of Lepanto is one of history’s largest naval battles. It was of sufficient importance to Christians that it United Catholics and Protestants alike. Anything that can bridge that gap—especially in the 16th century—is worth studying.
If you like naval battles and/or medieval warfare, this needs to be a must read. If you don’t like those, this is worthy of a read anyway. It sheds some much-needed light on a war that changed history; a truly watershed moment. Empires of the Sea is very good.
Not a bad read but not incredibly engaging either.
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
tense
medium-paced