Scan barcode
jwest87's review
5.0
This, along with 1453 have to be one of my favorite history books. Both of these feel like adventure stories rather than history books. The characters are wonderfully fleshed out and the battles are described in a non-confusing way.
jdowens87's review
3.0
I got into this book a lot more than I thought I would. I've always been interested in that period between the gradual fade away of the medieval era and the dawn of colonialism but my attentions in that regard have generally been limited to the actions of Western Europe. Reading Empires of the seas made me feel like I had been listening to a song with only one headphone in. I have been missing so much background information on this period that I was truly surprised to see how everything was connected. I was surprised to see how far reaching the impact of the battle over the Mediterranean was to events in Eastern and Western Europe.
One of the most surprising parts of this book, for me at least, was finding out that both Christians and Muslims relied heavily on slaves and slave labor to man their galleys and serve as a source of money. In fact, the slave trade in the Mediterranean seemed to be one of the primary catalysts of this prolonged conflict, with Muslims enslaving hundreds of thousands of Europeans and vice versa. I knew that slavery existed before colonial times obviously but I didn’t know it was to this extent and how reliant Mediterranean economies were on human trade. Overall, Empires of the Sea gave me just what I like out of my history books, military conflict embedded within a deeper social, economic, political and religious history.
One of the most surprising parts of this book, for me at least, was finding out that both Christians and Muslims relied heavily on slaves and slave labor to man their galleys and serve as a source of money. In fact, the slave trade in the Mediterranean seemed to be one of the primary catalysts of this prolonged conflict, with Muslims enslaving hundreds of thousands of Europeans and vice versa. I knew that slavery existed before colonial times obviously but I didn’t know it was to this extent and how reliant Mediterranean economies were on human trade. Overall, Empires of the Sea gave me just what I like out of my history books, military conflict embedded within a deeper social, economic, political and religious history.
smessmores's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting look into the empire struggles of the 1500s and well written. Also a great read for anyone who enjoyed the Lymond Chronicles to add extra context to books 3&4.
capellan's review
4.0
An engaging and informative account of the rise of Ottoman power in the Mediterranean, and the various inconsistent and frequently self-sabotaging efforts of the Christian nations to contain or reverse that rise, culminating in the Battle of Lepanto, which was the last major naval engagement between oar-powered fleets.
evamadera1's review
4.0
This book served as a breath of fresh air after the disaster that is Jess Walter's "Beautiful Ruins." I have not read many history books with as engaging a narrative as this one. Crowley choses such excellent words, words that convey complex word pictures and keep the reader engaged in what could be a rather dry, bloody narrative. Unlike Foreman in "A World on Fire: Britain's Crucial Role in the American Civil War," Crowley juggles multiple characters magnificently. Each historical player has a clear and distinct role in the action of the narrative. Crowley includes a good sized bibliography and note section although both are placed at the end of the book as is common in history books targets for the wider public audience.
I highly recommend this book.
I highly recommend this book.
ikorkh's review
5.0
One of the more captivating history books that I’ve read this year. Crowley is a masterful story-teller with an ample knowledge of his subject matter, and I cannot think of a better person to narrative the events of this fascinating era.