I am an occasional fan of military history non-fiction. I read this book a while back in DTB and loved it. Then I got my husband to read it, and he loved it too, and he's much more sparing in his praise than I! It describes a siege/battle that I knew little (really nothing more than the name) about, but one that seriously impacted the course of history. Even though it was originally published back in the 1960's, it didn't feel dated. I thought it was well written and gave a good sense of the time and place as well as the fighting. Sadly I notice it's now back up to normal price, but if it goes back on sale, I recommend it. JMTCW...
Quote:
Originally Posted by itisbomb
The Great Siege: Malta 1565
by Ernle Bradford
is $1.99 at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Siege-Ma...at+siege+malta
Below is the blurb:
Suleiman the Magnificent, the most powerful ruler in the world, was determined to conquer Europe. Only one thing stood in his way: a dot of an island in the Mediterranean called Malta, occupied by the Knights of St. John, the cream of the warriors of the Holy Roman Empire. A clash of civilizations the likes of which had not been seen since Persia invaded Greece was shaping up. Determined to capture Malta and use its port to launch operations against Europe, Suleiman sent an armada and an overwhelming army. A few thousand defenders in Fort St. Elmo fought to the last man, enduring cruel hardships. When they captured the fort, the Turks took no prisoners and mutilated the defenders’ bodies. Grand Master La Vallette of the Knights reciprocated by decapitating his Turkish prisoners and using their heads to cannonade the enemy. Then the battle for Malta began in earnest: no quarter asked, none given.
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