Empires of the Sea

The Contest for the Center of the World

By: Roger Crowley

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Empires of the Sea tells the story of the 50-year world war between Islam and Christianity for the Mediterranean: one of the fiercest and most influential contests in European history. It traces events from the appearance on the world stage of Suleiman the Magnificent - the legendary ruler of the Ottoman Empire - through "the years of devastation" when it seemed possible that Islam might master the whole sea, to the final brief flourishing of a united Christendom in 1571.

The core of the story is the six years of bitter and bloody conflict between 1565 and 1571 that witnessed a fight to the finish. It was a tipping point in world civilization, a fast-paced struggle of spiraling intensity that led from the siege of Malta and the battle for Cyprus to the pope's last-gasp attempt to rekindle the spirit of the Crusades and the apocalypse at Lepanto.

It features a rich cast of characters: Suleiman the Magnificent, greatest of Ottoman sultans; Hayrettin Barbarossa, the pirate who terrified Europe; the Knights of St. John, last survivors of the medieval crusading spirit; the aged visionary Pope Pius V; and the meteoric, brilliant Christian general, Don John of Austria.

It is also a narrative about places: the shores of the Bosphorus, the palaces and shipyards of the Venetian lagoon, the barren rocks of Malta, the islands of Greece, the slave markets of Algiers - and the character of the sea itself, with its complex pattern of winds and weather, which provided the conditions and the field of battle. It involves all the peoples who border the Great Sea: Italians, Turks, Greeks, Spaniards, the French and the people of North Africa.

This story is one of extraordinary color and incident, rich in detail, full of surprises, and backed by a wealth of eyewitness accounts. Its denouement, the battle of Lepanto, is a single action of quite shocking impact - considered at the time in Christian Europe to be "a day to end all days".

©2008 Roger Crowley (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A masterly narrative that captures the religious fervor, brutality, and mayhem of this intensive contest for the 'center of the world'." ( Kirkus)
"Masterfully synthesizing primary and secondary sources, [Crowley] vividly reconstructs the great battles...and introduces the larger-than-life personalities that dominated council chambers and fields of battle." ( Publishers Weekly)

Historical non-fiction at its best!

Any additional comments?

The centuries-long conflict between East and West, Muslim and Christian, comes to a head in the Sixteenth century Mediterranean Sea. Crowley details the fascinating rivalry between Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire. Their greatest victories, their most ignominious defeats, and everything in between are brought up at one point or another.

The Great Siege of Malta, as reviewers all over the place say, is a point in time that begs to be adapted by any entertainment medium. Somewhere around 7,000 Christians made a heroic stand against upwards of three times their number in the great fortress-island of Malta. Led by Grandmaster Jean de Valette of the Knights Hospitaller, the very citizens themselves put forth the most effort, according to Crowley, in defense of their home and hearth. Crowley definitely stresses Philip II of Spain's epithet: the Prudent, in relation to the great siege. The course of history has proven that Christendom is utterly incapable of uniting for a common cause, and it's fascinating to see how down to the wire the siege was due to Philip's extreme cautiousness.

Andrea Vicentino’s 1603 painting in the Palazzo Ducale in Venice depicts the sea of blood and corpses, the cluster of galleys.

The Holy League, vigorously promoted by Pope Pius V, in the spirit of "united" Christendom, which took ages to even have the various Christian rulers assent to involvement, finally took to the sea at the Battle of Lepanto is the culmination of the period, where the Christian fleet shattered the larger Ottoman navy in a battle of nearly 500 ships. The young Ritter Johann von Österreich, commonly known as Don Juan of Austria, just 24 at the time, led the massive coalition fleet that included Miguel de Cervantes to the great battle against Ali Pasha, the Grand Admiral of the Ottoman Navy, and very much a mirror image of Juan himself. Juan's leadership inspired G.K. Chesterton's 1911 poem, named after the eponymous battle.

Crowley lays out a detailed (surprising for its length) narration and analysis of the Mediterranean between the Siege of Rhodes in 1522 and Lepanto in 1571 - not particularly favoring one side or the other, though it is difficult as a reader not to feel some sort of good at sieges where the defenders are hugely outnumbered. The narration itself is bloody and the bodies pile up in masses, turning the very sea that the galleys slice through crimson.

This is historical non-fiction at its best, with a strong, flowing narrative style that brings the characters of both sides back to life in a readable amount of pages (though I listened to the audiobook), complete with stats and strategies for military history buffs all the while remaining exciting as hell to read. Empires of the Sea only scratches the surface of the nearly three hundred year conflict.

Great Great Great

The lead up to the battle of Lepanto was written and narrated perfectly. The siege of Malta was almost verbatim from the Great Siege, but considering that the only credible description came from Balbi, I guess you can't be surprised.

well told story

this book and narrator brought history vividly to life; the sieges, battles, and underlying conflict

great story but struggled with the narrating

Would you listen to Empires of the Sea again? Why?

I had a very difficult time with the narrator changing his voice to sound like a child's voice. I'd much prefer if he'd simply read it in his natural voice. I'm an adult and don't need to be read to like one would to a little kid. The change of voice was very distracting and sounded silly.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

by changing his voice to that of a young child

The captains make the book

Sweeping tales of adventure are best told from the viewpoint of those on the ground ( or the water) as it were. Well told. Amazing to get the ottoman viewpoint. Get thee some maps to follow the exiting narrative. Well done

Engaging military history, great narration

This is primarily a military history but not focused on tactics; gets more into individual motives, geopolitical situations, differences in political and social arrangements etc. It weaves in four different naval battles into a single narrative, very engagingly, that took place between the Ottomans and the Habsburgs in 16th century Mediterranean. The narrator is amazing and has a distinct style.

The real First World War??

The blood & guts descriptions are extremely vivid. Now i understand the painting by Caravaggio, which hangs in the cathedral in Malta

Military history, both epic and personal

Empires of the Sea is a fascinating look at the struggle between Christianity and Islam in the middle of the last millennium, as played out in the fight between the Ottomans and the Hapsburg. Crowley magnifies one perspective on this conflict: the military clashes in the Mediterranean and the sieges of Rhodes and Malta, and uses that as a lens on the entire conflict. In doing so, he is able to cast light on a few of the most interesting characters of the age - Mehmet, Don Jon of Austria, the Barbarossas, and many others. The result is an engaging take on this relatively overlooked but important war to rule the sea "at the center of the world."

The books strengths can also be its occasional weakness. The sieges of Rhodes and Malta are described in very great detail, as unfolding narrative. Usually this is terrifically interesting, but some of the details drag a bit. The author's narrow focus on the war in the sea also somewhat limits the perspectives of the book, making it hard to understand how important it was relative to other events in the world. The critical siege of Vienna, the high water mark for for Ottoman expansion, is barely mentioned in passing.

All of the strengths and weaknesses come together in the grand climax of the whole fight, the battle of Lepanto, with hundreds of thousands of sailors and galley slaves involved. It is told epically, but brings the book to a bit of an abrupt conclusion, with relatively little reflection on what the whole conflict meant on the wider stage.

The criticisms are minor, however, and the reading is excellent. If you like military history or want to know more about this fascinating period in history, this is an excellent choice. The only real downside is that the author never included parts of the poem Lepanto, which would have been wonderful to hear John Lee read:

White founts falling in the Courts of the sun,
And the Soldan of Byzantium is smiling as they run;
There is laughter like the fountains in that face of all men feared,
It stirs the forest darkness, the darkness of his beard;
It curls the blood-red crescent, the crescent of his lips;
For the inmost sea of all the earth is shaken with his ships.
They have dared the white republics up the capes of Italy,
They have dashed the Adriatic round the Lion of the Sea,
And the Pope has cast his arms abroad for agony and loss,
And called the kings of Christendom for swords about the Cross...

Simply one of the best Audible has to offer.

Empires of the Sea is the perfect introduction to the warring sixteenth century and the conflict between the forces of Christianity and Islam. In that century, the Mediterranean theater gave us some of the most famous battles and sieges, and Empires of the Sea brings them to life with stunning detail and realism.

First, the narration. John Lee’s narration is perfect for this book. His pronunciations are spot on and pauses are well-timed and appropriate. His voice is a joy to listen to and makes pausing this audiobook that much more difficult.

Second, the book. In my opinion, the sixteenth century is one of the most fascinating in human history. So many extraordinary and lauded rulers lived in this time. Sulieman the Magnificent, Phillip II, Elizabeth I, Henry VIII, Charles V, Ferdinand I, Isabella of Spain, Catherine de Medici and the list goes on and on. I say this because the individuals of this century have all but eclipsed our modern memory when it comes to warfare in this time. Each of the people I mentioned have a plethora of books written about them. Astonishingly though, there are not many books written solely about the military aspect of the age. Enter Empires of the Sea, which focuses on the most famous battles of the century fought in the Mediterranean.

The book really begins with the Ottomans and their siege of Rhodes. From early on, Crowley sets the tone with a brutal and telling account of the siege. Instead of simply discussing what occurs, Crowley takes the time to let us into the minds of both commanders during the siege. He expertly weaves Sulieman’s own notes of the siege in real-time, telling us the sultans’ thoughts as the battle ebbs and flows. Although the siege of Rhodes does not take up a lot of time in the book, it is immediately apparent that you are reading a well-formed, expertly researched, and entertaining book. Crowley then sets the stage, explaining all the players in this game, and what their motivations are. He skillfully moves from Turkey to Spain to Rome, and the Barbary coast, humanizing it all with the lives of both kings and commoners alike.

Crowley gives you an idea of what it was like to be alive at this time. To be galley slaves abducted from Italy, or their abductors, sailing with some of the most famous names in history; men like Barbarossa and Dragut. There is a slight focus on the Ottoman side in the book. I find this refreshing as most books I have read on the era, focuses on the Europeans. There are many correspondents between Sulieman and his commanders and they are used to perfection here. When the naval battles begin, Crowley makes sure to set up both sides. His telling of the siege of Malta gives you an unprecedented view of the conflict from the Ottoman command while giving you an idea of how the entire European world reacted as well.
Aside from Malta and Rhodes, Empires of the Sea contains some of the most engaging descriptions of naval battles I have ever read. Everything from the setup to the battle, to the engagement itself, to the aftermath; it’s all brutal, memorable, and encapsulating. Crowley’s ability to bounce around the different civilizations in the Mediterranean only to zoom in on a battle taking place on a few miles of open sea, and do so seamlessly, is to be applauded.

Conclusion. I have read several audiobooks on Audible and Empires of the Sea just refuses to move from the top. It is near perfect in its execution and visceral in its telling of war on the Mediterranean Sea. I mark this as one of the best history audiobooks Audible has. After it’s done, you want nothing more than to learn more about these events in greater detail. I have sought out other historical works on the battles of Rhodes, Malta, Cyprus, and Preveza because of this wonderful book.

At one point during the battle of Lepanto, the Spanish Flagship, Real smashes into the Ottoman flagship, Sultana. Prepare your body and mind to be transported there.

Awesome, exciting history, well told

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because despite it being history, it was a very enjoyable listen.

Which scene was your favorite?

The battles

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, but it was still a great book.