Open Road Media The Great Siege, Malta 1565: Clash of Cultures: Christian Knights Defend Western Civilization Against the Moslem Tide
Product ID: 278776458
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The indispensable account of the Ottoman Empire’s Siege of Malta from the author of Hannibal and Gibraltar . In the first half of the sixteenth century, the Ottoman Empire was thought to be invincible. Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman sultan, had expanded his empire from western Asia to southeastern Europe and North Africa. To secure control of the Mediterranean between these territories and launch an offensive into western Europe, Suleiman needed the small but strategically crucial island of Malta. But Suleiman’s attempt to take the island from the Holy Roman Empire’s Knights of St. John would emerge as one of the most famous and brutal military defeats in history. Forty-two years earlier, Suleiman had been victorious against the Knights of St. John when he drove them out of their island fortress at Rhodes. Believing he would repeat this victory, the sultan sent an armada to Malta. When they captured Fort St. Elmo, the Ottoman forces ruthlessly took no prisoners. The Roman grand master La Vallette responded by having his Ottoman captives beheaded. Then the battle for Malta began in earnest: no quarter asked, none given. Ernle Bradford’s compelling and thoroughly researched account of the Great Siege of Malta recalls not just an epic battle, but a clash of civilizations unlike anything since the time of Alexander the Great. It is “a superior, readable treatment of an important but little-discussed epic from the Renaissance past . . . An astonishing tale” ( Kirkus Reviews ). Review: A Concise Account of the Siege of Malta - Several years ago I read the book: Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World , which I thought was fantastic. After seeing this book, and realizing it was published several decades ago, I decided to download it to my Kindle. I am glad that I did. Based on the forward in the book, the author spent time in Malta including in a military capacity. I found it interesting that the author often injects his knowledge of military tactics and strategy throughout the book. Not in a boring "order of battle" kind of way, but in a very useful practical fashion that seeks to firm up his assertions. I appreciated this very much. I also got the sense that the author, Mr. Bradford, approached the book and the telling of the story in a sort of "after action" report. I mean that as a complement: he literally let the story tell itself. I won't rehash the events of the great siege of Malta, suffice to say that it does not need imbellishment or to be sensationalized. The triumph that the Knights of Saint John achieved in conjunction with the Maltese population is truly a timeless tale. The author really seems to have understood this and the minimalistic writing of the story made its impact greater in my opinion. The story of the siege of Malta combines all of the classic elements: dedication, honor, duty, courage in the face of overwhelming odds, and of course faith. It occurred to me several days after finishing the book that Mr. Bradford always kept a focus on LaVallete, the commander of the Knights of Saint John. He points out, without really having to point it out at all, that LaVallete's command execution was nearly flawless. Further, LaVallete seemed to be drawing on hundreds of years of defensive siege warfare experience handed down by the Knights. Using the fortresses of the island he created a "force multiplier" that allowed his men to stave off the overwhelming force of the Ottoman war machine. LaVallete's combat experiences, combined with his innate knowledge of the psychology of warfare galvanized his will with that of his soldiers and the Maltese populace. Incredible. Where are the men like LaVallete today? We need them desperately... Of course the book is somewhat short, and it goes quick. I have not given five stars in a while, but this book deserves it in my opinion. Concise and to the point, the story is what matters and it stays with you. Review: "We shall never take you... " - "The Great Siege" is a fascinating study of the events surrounding the attempt in 1565 by the Moslem Turks to conquer Malta ,drive out the Christian Knights of St John and establish an Islamic hegemony over the Mediterranean ,with a view to using the island as a base for further expansion into Southern Europe. The book is written almost in the style of a novel with the narrative unfolding around the central characters Jean de la Vallette, the Knight's Grandmaster and Mustapha Pasha, the Commander of the Turkish Army ."The Great Siege" is completely absorbing and it conveys successfully the fanaticism and heroism of the participants.I was amazed at the courage and defiance shown by the Knights and their Maltese allies as they refused to bow to the superior numbers and firepower of the Turkish invaders first at St Elmo, whose resistance was unbelievable ,then at Senglea and Birgu. For four months the Knights held on against the Turks who had thought it would have been all over within four weeks, eventually demoralising them and forcing them to return home defeated. The book gives a blow by blow account of the Siege and provides details of the strategies and tactics of the respective military commanders."The Great Siege" is a remarkable true story and, looking back, its outcome is one of the great "What If's" of history. If the Turks had taken Malta, would swathes of Southern Europe have fallen to the Moslems and led to a very different geo-political landscape than that of today ? Their defeat by "The Incredibles", La Vallette's Knights and the Maltese, stung the Turks and destroyed their aura of invincibility -and they did it on their own, with no relief from outside. "The Great Siege" is a tale of individual heroism and collective bravery, of an immense religious and cultural conflagration and of a lionhearted people preferring martyrdom and death to submission.
| Best Sellers Rank | #202,279 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #422 in History of Africa #823 in History of the Middle East #1,760 in Military History |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 245 Reviews |
U**M
A Concise Account of the Siege of Malta
Several years ago I read the book: Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World , which I thought was fantastic. After seeing this book, and realizing it was published several decades ago, I decided to download it to my Kindle. I am glad that I did. Based on the forward in the book, the author spent time in Malta including in a military capacity. I found it interesting that the author often injects his knowledge of military tactics and strategy throughout the book. Not in a boring "order of battle" kind of way, but in a very useful practical fashion that seeks to firm up his assertions. I appreciated this very much. I also got the sense that the author, Mr. Bradford, approached the book and the telling of the story in a sort of "after action" report. I mean that as a complement: he literally let the story tell itself. I won't rehash the events of the great siege of Malta, suffice to say that it does not need imbellishment or to be sensationalized. The triumph that the Knights of Saint John achieved in conjunction with the Maltese population is truly a timeless tale. The author really seems to have understood this and the minimalistic writing of the story made its impact greater in my opinion. The story of the siege of Malta combines all of the classic elements: dedication, honor, duty, courage in the face of overwhelming odds, and of course faith. It occurred to me several days after finishing the book that Mr. Bradford always kept a focus on LaVallete, the commander of the Knights of Saint John. He points out, without really having to point it out at all, that LaVallete's command execution was nearly flawless. Further, LaVallete seemed to be drawing on hundreds of years of defensive siege warfare experience handed down by the Knights. Using the fortresses of the island he created a "force multiplier" that allowed his men to stave off the overwhelming force of the Ottoman war machine. LaVallete's combat experiences, combined with his innate knowledge of the psychology of warfare galvanized his will with that of his soldiers and the Maltese populace. Incredible. Where are the men like LaVallete today? We need them desperately... Of course the book is somewhat short, and it goes quick. I have not given five stars in a while, but this book deserves it in my opinion. Concise and to the point, the story is what matters and it stays with you.
L**N
"We shall never take you... "
"The Great Siege" is a fascinating study of the events surrounding the attempt in 1565 by the Moslem Turks to conquer Malta ,drive out the Christian Knights of St John and establish an Islamic hegemony over the Mediterranean ,with a view to using the island as a base for further expansion into Southern Europe. The book is written almost in the style of a novel with the narrative unfolding around the central characters Jean de la Vallette, the Knight's Grandmaster and Mustapha Pasha, the Commander of the Turkish Army ."The Great Siege" is completely absorbing and it conveys successfully the fanaticism and heroism of the participants.I was amazed at the courage and defiance shown by the Knights and their Maltese allies as they refused to bow to the superior numbers and firepower of the Turkish invaders first at St Elmo, whose resistance was unbelievable ,then at Senglea and Birgu. For four months the Knights held on against the Turks who had thought it would have been all over within four weeks, eventually demoralising them and forcing them to return home defeated. The book gives a blow by blow account of the Siege and provides details of the strategies and tactics of the respective military commanders."The Great Siege" is a remarkable true story and, looking back, its outcome is one of the great "What If's" of history. If the Turks had taken Malta, would swathes of Southern Europe have fallen to the Moslems and led to a very different geo-political landscape than that of today ? Their defeat by "The Incredibles", La Vallette's Knights and the Maltese, stung the Turks and destroyed their aura of invincibility -and they did it on their own, with no relief from outside. "The Great Siege" is a tale of individual heroism and collective bravery, of an immense religious and cultural conflagration and of a lionhearted people preferring martyrdom and death to submission.
C**Y
Couldn't put it down
Recommended by a family member, i ordered it reservedly and started reading it the day it arrived. Two days later I had finished it, I honestly did not want to put it down (much to the annoyance of my wife). Very well written in a chronological order, with plenty of amazing facts of how such a few number of determind soldiers and islanders pulled together, throwing personal differences aside so that they could stand against the full force of the Ottoman Empire trying to capture the small Island of Malta in order that it could be used as a stepping stone to Europe. Why this has not been turned into a film is beyond me, it would be be a blockbuster if it was. The 5 stars are well deserved
S**A
tutto a posto
corriere cortese e disponibile-servizio perfetto-tutto ok
M**N
A Fascinating Piece of History That Is Still Relevant Today
This is an excellent audio book of a book originally published in 1961 by British historian Ernle (pronounced Ern-Lee) Bradford about the Ottoman attack on the island of Malta in 1565, intended to subjugate Malta and eliminate the Order of the Knights of Malta as a player in Mediterranean military and political affairs. In the 1950s and 1960s Ernle Bradford wrote a number of books about significant events in Mediterranean history, ranging from the ancient classical period, like Ulysses and the Odyessy, to the battle of Thermopolye, to the Crusades, to 15th and 16th events like the siege of Constantinople and the siege of Malta. Many of Bradford's books are still in print. They are all very good. Some are excellent. This book - and audio book - on the siege of Malta in 1565 falls into the excellent category. Bradford was a very good writer and his prose adapts well to narration. Simon Vance is a very good audio book reader, with good diction, phrasing and overall presentation. This particular piece of history, with the overtone of the conflict between Islam and the West and the Ottoman Sultan viewing the attack on Malta as a jihad against the Christians, is still relevant today. The historical events are fascinating and Bradford relates them extremely well. This is popular historical writing at its best. Bottom line: an excellent historical audio book. I have a forty minute commute to/from work and I typically spend my commute time listening to audio books. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I see that a few commentators have suggested that this piece of history would make an excellent movie. I agree; it would. But I just can't see Hollywood making a movie out of this; for one thing, the outnumbered Christians (i.e. the West) defeated a much stronger Islamic army (about 9000 on the Christian side versus about 40,000 on the Turkish side). In today's politically correct environment, I just can't see such a movie being made; it would undoubtedly be considered "Islamophobic." Too bad; it would make a great movie.
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