Empires of the Sea

The Contest for the Center of the World

De: Roger Crowley

Narrado por: John Lee

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

Reseñas de la Crítica

"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)

A critical note of history that still resonates.

The present relationships and emotions between Europe and the near-eastern Muslim world were reborn and reformed in this 16th century time frame described in "Empires of the Sea: The Contest for the Center of the World". It wasn't until I had listened to this book that I understood the significance of all the watch towers that line practically every piece of coastline along the entire Italian peninsula. Today these seem quaint and picturesque but in an earlier time they meant life or death or slavery by the warning they might give the people of any town or village that is exposed to the sea.

The savagery of the Muslim raiders and the fate of entire towns down to the last child, branded the black image of "The Turk" onto the Christian mind and memory. Although there were religious influences effecting the actions of the various peoples involved, it was at its core a conflict over power, trade and fortune.

If you think you know the history of Western Civilization and you don't know much about this particular time, then you will not really understand the present and a good chunk of the past. Roger Crowley does a superb job of giving the details (and there are plenty of details) in a storybook style that makes you want to know how it all comes out. John Lee is amazing as well, he always makes the narrative better.

The Ottoman Empire was a formidable force to be reckoned with at this time. Every country in Europe was concerned to one degree or another with this threat from the East. I was astonished to discover my own ignorance of vast scale of this conflict. The characters of this story are fascinating, on both the Muslim and Christian sides. Bravery, endurance and incredible savagery play parts in this narrative.

More importantly, this history allows you to better understand the posture, attitude, rhetoric and actions of the two sides in the present clash of violence and instability. The one thing you will discover is that neither side can support their claim that peace and tolerance flow from their religious theologies.

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.

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

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

Exciting read!

Very well told story, lots of great background and perspective. Easy to follow and understand too.

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.

Exceptional piece of historical literature!

What an exceptional book read by an exceptional narrator! John Lee is, in my opinion, the KING of historical narration. This book was so well written and was so rich and had so much detail that I was literally hooked the entire time. I could’ve, at any time, looked up the outcomes of these battles, but I allowed myself to be swept up in the emotional turmoil of both sides. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about a micro piece of history, or just anyone who likes a well written war story. All of the action movies, all of the fantastic naval storylines that we know today, seem to spring from the living legends that existed around this time.