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)

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.

History that must be known.

Names and places enter the story and leave quickly. Losing context and your place in the story is common with little distractions. While it's a big commitment, I will probably listen to the story again.

Too late.

Any additional comments?

I sure wish this book had been available when I visited Malta with the USS Joseph P Kennedy, Jr, DD-850, back in the late sixties/early seventies. It would have been super to tour some of these battle sites. Alas.

Brilliant story, balanced history.

Seldom have I read or listened to such well researched and yet dramatic, as it deserves, history. Evenhanded without apology. Highly recommend. I just got his next book.

Riveting historical journey

From the fall of Constantinople to the climactic clash at Lepanto, Empires of the Sea is a gripping tale of a struggle reminiscent of the Carthaginian-Roman conflict for the vital waters of the Mediterranean.
The origins of the Barbary pirates, who were not surpassed in their enslaving of Europeans until the seventeenth century. The siege of Malta and the heroic defense of the island against impossible odds. A naval engagement’s outcome that was arguably trivial in the grand conflict, even if it was a massive victory.
The story does not disappoint.

Thoroughly engaging

Recommended to anyone with even a passing curiosity of maritime warfare. The conflicts the book covers are explained in great detail, as are the lives of the men leading the campaigns. Narration is well done.

Fantastic book and fantastic narration

The story telling is brilliantly done and the humorous moments are well presented. One of my favorite books to listen to whenever I want to be reminded how fortunate I am to not be a galley slave.

Absolutely fantastic and masterfully read

I downloaded the book last month and thoroughly enjoyed the rivetting narrative of the author and gripping reading by the narrator.
I subsequently downloaded the 'Enemy at the Gates' and the content, the narration and the reading are utterly lackluster compared to this book's.
I am eagerly looking forward to the next book from Roger Crowley and I hope John Lee reads it for the audio format!

Great Book

Really enjoyed this book. Learned alot of new history that I had not known before. Author wrote the book in a way that was very easy to follow and really brought out the personalities of the main actors in the events. Strongly recommend.

History of Wars between Muslims vs Christians.

This was an amazing book detailing the fight for the Mediterranean Sea access. I had no idea how long this conflict went on and how close the west was to losing it.

I learned a great deal about the parties who fought for dominance of the seas in the 1300's to late 1500's. The author was very non partisan and I enjoyed learning about the Ottoman Empire and that my prejudices that Muslims at this time were backwards and savages just isn't true. Both sides could be savage at times. Once after a huge battle the Muslim commander cut off everyone's heads and shot them in cannons back to the ships of the Christians to show he meant business. Other times Christians did similar things to the Muslims.The arquebus (an early gun) was something I had not known about.

This book was narrated by John Lee who is one of the best narrators in Audiobooks.

My favorite person was Don Juan of Austria in the battle of Lepanto. He tried to be fair with his opponents but sometimes his wishes were not respected. He was very sad that Aly Pasha had been killed. He was a wise leader and would have been a good ruler. He wasn't above asking for suggestions from others who had fought the Turks before.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in history and warfare.