Amazing. Although we Americans don't learn much European let alone Middle Eastern history, this book details a conflict between Christianity and Ottoman Empire that rivals WWI in numbers of dead and treasure destroyed. What a colossal waste that led to both sides leaving off due to sheer exhaustion. The world is made of history repeating itself. I hope we don't repeat this particular conflict in the Middle East. The author did an outstanding job of condensing previous histories and using actual accounts and quotes from the combatants in this brief history. Crowley is almost the perfect history writer. He glosses over nothing important but has the rare ability to tell a story that is hard to put down. He writes of a time that set the demarcation of the Christian-Muslim world that has lasted to our time. It's a world still trying to maneuver its boundaries. This story is filled with moments of history that we know to this day: Maltese falcons, Barbarossa and the Barbary pirates, the rape of the new world by Spanish adventurers, the names of Ottoman princes and Italian admirals that last to this day, this is the story that set those people in our history. If there is ever a question that, despite our problems, we live in a monumentally better, time, this is the book to read. The worst job in the world now is better than the fate of a slave chained to the galley of a ship in the wars Empires of the Sea documents. God knows, but we are moving forward. Very highly recommended.
What do You think about Imperios Del Mar (2008)?
Ever wonder about to post crusades and how the Muslim world came to be
—cindy
A fine read but historical novels are not my favorite.
—Titchmidget
