Finished.
And, while there are passing references to Malta's importance sitting astride the shipping lanes of the Mediterranean, and as a necessary gateway to conquering Sicily, and then Italy, and then Europe, those references are just passing mentions. Shame, really.
I also appreciated the political discussion around relieving the siege and the dilatory response of Don Garcia, I ultimately think the author ducked any responsibility for actually assigning cause, blame or motive for the failures of Christian Europe to support and relieve Malta and La Valette. He gives La Valette and the Knights full praise, but appears to give only grudging respect to the native Maltese, who were, after all, mere peasants.
Quote:
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There were about 12,000 inhabitants in Malta, most of them poor peasants speaking a kind of Arabic dialect.
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Final verdict? 3.5 stars. Should be 3, except that Simon Vance's compelling narration pumps it up a notch. And really, Bradford does a superb job of telling the story of the battles. I just wanted it to be more than that.