Empires of the Sea

The Contest for the Center of the World

By: Roger Crowley

Narrated by: 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

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)

Brilliant detail, exciting story

This narrative came as a complete surprise; I had no idea the Mediterranean Sea was a major war zone in the 16th century; no idea, either, that citizens of both Europe and the Ottoman Empire were enslaved on such a scale by the "corsairs" of the opposing sides. Crowley tells the story as if it were recent history, extracting a full measure of excitement and suspense out of each incident. Narrated by the irrepressible John Lee. The only problem is that, as with other works on similar topics, the unfamiliar names -- unfamiliar to me, at any rate -- are hard to grasp without a printed text alongside. Wikipedia helps a bit. A map of Malta, especially of the Grand Harbor, is essential.

Brilliant narration and great history

This is an excellent piece of very readable military history covering a period often if not universally overlooked in the education of most people. The narration is also first rate.

The author makes excellent uses of the sources available to him and lets the primary sources speak using their own voice whenever possible. This makes for a very reliable and well constructed piece of historical writing. His style is flowing and interesting and he refrains, mercifully, from dwelling too much on the gruesome details that abound in the historical record of the period.

I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in an overview of the battles between Europe and an ascendant Ottoman empire at the hight of its powers in general or interested in a very detailed account of the absolutely fascinating siege of Malta. Its coverage of the battle of Lepanto is less well done but still competent. A great read.

Finally, the narrator is brilliant.

Violence between Christians and Muslims

I really enjoyed learning about this forgotten period of history. The violence of man against one another frightens me, particularly when it's in the name of God. this book tells a detailed account of the war between Spain and Christians Europe and the Ottoman empire in their battle for control of the Mediterranean Sea.

This is great story of early naval warfare.

This is a good historical rendering of an earlier contest between European and Middle Eastern powers.

Exciting prose

I sought out a good book about the siege of Malta after visiting the place on vacation, and Empires of the Sea really satisfied. I’m a history buff to begin with but I feel like the Ottoman-Christian wars are hardly discussed in most sources. I loved listening to this telling, and I especially enjoyed the author’s flair for exciting prose. I could completely imagine being in some of these battles from some of his descriptions and firsthand narratives.

Great history book

I strongly suggest you download this book and THEN (I unfortunately did the opposite) download "The Religion" by T. Willocks. Both of the books are outstanding. "Empires" gives one the historical background (though it reads like a novel) and "The Religion" adds the flavor of historical fiction (one cannot help but pull for the main character Tannhauser). Oh yes, I almost forgot, John Lee could read the phone book and make it interesting.

Top 5 all time Favorite Books

A war book about the battles between the Ottomans and their offensive on the Mediterranean

History told with a narrative flair

This is a great piece of history told with a real sense of narrative flair and drama that is, nonetheless, informative.

excellent history

great, theatrical-feeling account of the war of the Mediterranean. It does lack in an analysis, providing more of a chronological account of events, but does not seek to derive from accounts beyond what was written. Would make for a compelling TV series, as it is written colorfully enough to be entertaining.

Power struggle over the Med Sea in the 1500s

Good listen. Finished over a weekend. I try to read one or two history books a year and this one did not disappoint.