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An eyewitness account of one of the greatest-ever battles as a few
men under the Knights of St John took on a huge Turkish armada.
This is the history of one of the great battles of the world,
written by a private soldier who was an eye-witness. The siege of
Malta was a crucial moment in the long struggle between Islam and
Christendom for domination of the Mediterranean, fought out by
unequal forces on the small island which commands the sea-routes at
the centre of that sea. The Knights of St John were a survival from
the medieval world, the largest of the surviving crusading
orders,and they had been driven out of their base on Rhodes in the
eastern Mediterranean after a great onslaught by the Turks in 1522.
Now, forty-three years later, the Turkish ruler, Suleyman the
Magnificent, who had been the victor atRhodes, was determined to
finish them off. He sent out a huge armada, carrying the pick of
his army, under two commanders. Against this powerful force, the
Knights could only raise a handful of men and mercenaries, and had
to depend on the fortifications they had raised in the thirty-five
years since they first came to Malta, which bore no comparison to
the massive walls and ditches on Rhodes. Francisco Balbi di
Correggio was a humble soldier of fortune who enlisted under the
charismatic command of the Grand Master of the Order, Jean de la
Valette. The extraordinary drama that unfolded after the first
appearance of the Turkish fleet in the summer of 1565 is told in
his own words, giving equal credit to the courage and leadership of
the Knights and the grim determination of the ordinary people of
Malta.
The indispensable account of the Ottoman Empire's Siege of Malta
from the author of Hannibal and Gibraltar. In the first half of the
sixteenth century, the Ottoman Empire was thought to be invincible.
Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman sultan, had expanded his
empire from western Asia to southeastern Europe and North Africa.
To secure control of the Mediterranean between these territories
and launch an offensive into western Europe, Suleiman needed the
small but strategically crucial island of Malta. But Suleiman's
attempt to take the island from the Holy Roman Empire's Knights of
St. John would emerge as one of the most famous and brutal military
defeats in history. Forty-two years earlier, Suleiman had been
victorious against the Knights of St. John when he drove them out
of their island fortress at Rhodes. Believing he would repeat this
victory, the sultan sent an armada to Malta. When they captured
Fort St. Elmo, the Ottoman forces ruthlessly took no prisoners. The
Roman grand master La Vallette responded by having his Ottoman
captives beheaded. Then the battle for Malta began in earnest: no
quarter asked, none given. Ernle Bradford's compelling and
thoroughly researched account of the Great Siege of Malta recalls
not just an epic battle, but a clash of civilizations unlike
anything since the time of Alexander the Great. It is "a superior,
readable treatment of an important but little-discussed epic from
the Renaissance past . . . An astonishing tale" (Kirkus Reviews).
A lively, discerning companion to the beauty, myth and history of a
fascinating and lovely region."A consistently first-rate series."
THE TIMES When Ernle Bradford's Companion Guide to the Greek
Islands first appeared in 1963 it was immediately hailed as the
best published guide to the diverse and endlessly fascinating
islands of the Aegean and Ionian seas. This revised edition of this
classic travel guide profits from FRANCIS PAGAN's twenty years' of
travel in Greek waters, and deep knowledge of the area. He has
added further touches to Bradford's vivid accounts of the moods of
the sea and the islanders' traditional ways of life, leading the
reader to unexpected discoveries (hidden monasteries, hill-top
villages, flowery valleys, quiet places by the sea), and writes in
more depth of the Classical, Byzantine and medieval past. Included
in this edition are accounts of recent archaeological work in the
islands by British, American, and other European schools; he also
guides the reader to sites which have become more accessible as
communications multiply by sea, air and land. Photographs by George
Domatas.
The captivating biography of Prince Henry of Portugal, the
navigator and explorer who helped usher in the Age of Discovery.
Before Columbus, Vespucci, and Sir Francis Drake, there was Henry
the Navigator. Pirate hunter, intrepid explorer, and ship designer,
the Portuguese prince was one of the great innovators who pioneered
the Age of Discovery. In an effort to locate the mythic kingdom of
Prester John, Prince Henry organized voyages into the Southern
Atlantic and developed a new kind of ship, the caravel,
specifically for the task. His explorations yielded riches and fame
for Portugal, as well as the discovery of Madeira and the Canary
Islands. Yet the scope of his contribution to the world is often
overshadowed by other figures. In this expertly researched
biography, Ernle Bradford brings to light the captivating tale of a
pioneer who initiated an era of exploration and forever changed the
course of history.
An authoritative history of the Knights of St. John, from Jerusalem
to Malta, told by the bestselling author of The Great Siege. Known
by many names through their centuries-long career, The Knights
Hospitaller of Saint John dedicated themselves to defending the
poor and sick. First formed in Jerusalem during the Crusades of the
eleventh century, the Order of Saint John grew in wealth and power
rivaled only by the Knights Templar. They survived exile from the
Holy Land, settling first in Rhodes and then in Malta, which they
famously defended against the Ottoman Empire's epic invasion of
1565. Even after losing Malta to Napoleon Bonaparte two centuries
later, the Order of Saint John continued its mission. Ernle
Bradford, whose bestselling book The Great Siege recounts their
historic battle for Malta, follows the Knights of Saint John
through centuries of war, politics, rivalry, and perseverance in
The Shield and the Sword.
A memoir of life as an adventurer and sailor in the Mediterranean,
by the noted naval historian. Ernle Bradford spent his twenty-first
birthday in Egypt, serving in the Royal Navy during World War II.
It was there that he came across the profoundly affecting words of
Anton Chekhov: "Life does not come again; if you have not lived
during the days that were given to you, once only, then write it
down as lost." After the war, Bradford married and settled in
London, but the mandate of those words inspired him and his wife to
quit their jobs, sell their home, and sail to France in their small
ship Mother Goose. The Journeying Moon chronicles their adventures
as they travel through Europe and the Mediterranean. From the
people of Malta who believed Bradford was a spy from MI5, to his
interactions with the Sicilian Mafia, Bradford tells the charming
and vivid tale of his days as a true adventurer.
The epic life story of the Roman statesman, military commander, and
dictator, from the bestselling author of Thermopylae. Born to Roman
aristocracy in 100 BC, Julius Caesar became one of the most
powerful men in history. He was a military genius, a fierce
politician, and a brilliant writer and orator. When he formed an
alliance with Pompey and Crassus, the triumvirate of officials took
control of the Roman Republic. But Caesar's quest for power was
only beginning. As proconsul, he went to war against the Gallic
tribes of the north, extending Roman territory into Gaul, Belgium,
Germany, and Britain. When the Gallic Wars ended, the Roman senate
called on Caesar to return to private life. But rather than
relinquish his title, Caesar led his legion into a civil war that
would spell the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the
Roman Empire. In this thrilling and thoroughly researched
biography, Ernle Bradford cuts through the legends in order to
present a truthful and nuanced portrait of a man whose pursuit of
power knew no bounds.
Since ships first set sail in the Mediterranean, The Rock has been
the gate of Fortress Europe. In ancient times, it was known as one
of the Pillars of Hercules, and a glance at its formidable mass
suggests that it may well have been created by the gods. Sought
after by every nation with territorial ambitions in Europe, Asia,
and Africa, Gibraltar was possessed by the Arabs, the Spanish, and
ultimately the British, who captured it in the early 1700s and held
onto it in a siege of more than three years late in the eighteenth
century. The fact that that was one of more than a dozen sieges
exemplifies Gibraltar's quintessential value as a prize and the
desperation of governments to fly their flag above its forbidding
ramparts. Bradford uses his matchless skill and knowledge to take
the reader through the history of this great and unique fortress.
From its geological creation to its two-thousand-year influence on
politics and war, he crafts the compelling tale of how these few
square miles played a major part in history.
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Hannibal (Paperback)
Ernle Bradford
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R556
R453
Discovery Miles 4 530
Save R103 (19%)
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Ships in 12 - 17 working days
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The life of the great military commander of ancient Carthage from
the bestselling author of Thermopylae and Gibraltar. Born in
Carthage in 247 BC, Hannibal Barca is considered one of the
greatest military commanders of all time. Following the example set
by his father, Hamilcar, he dedicated his life to the defeat of
Rome. At the outbreak of the Second Punic War, Hannibal famously
led an army across the Pyrenees and the Alps to victory against the
Romans at the Battle of Trebia. In the years that followed,
Hannibal led the Carthaginian war on Rome through some of the most
brutal and costly battles in recorded history. In this richly
detailed biography, Ernle Bradford tells the story of a great
leader whose military strategies have been studied and copied by
commanders throughout history, from his own Roman enemies to
Napoleon Bonaparte.
The evolution of the battleship through centuries of war, told by a
nautical expert and author of The Mighty Hood. During its reign
from the sixteenth century to the mid-twentieth, the battleship was
the most powerful weapon of war known to man. Strategically, it
determined a war's outcome. Tactically, it dominated every sea
battle. But at the Battle of Taranto in 1940 and the attack on
Pearl Harbor in 1941, carrier-borne aircraft made a decisive
display of superiority over the once-mighty battleship. Thus World
War II heralded the end of the era of The Great Ship. In The Great
Ship, noted naval historian Ernle Bradford traces the evolution of
battleships through centuries of conflict and innovation. Selecting
one or two ships from each period, Bradford illustrates their use
in action and the significant roles they played in the course of
history.
The story of the HMS Hood, the last great warship of the British
Royal Navy, told by the bestselling author of Hannibal. When it was
launched in 1918, the HMS Hood was the flagship of the Royal Navy.
As a battle cruiser, "The Mighty Hood" was fast enough to evade
enemy cruiser ships and powerful enough to destroy them. But for
all the Hood's might, it had one fatal flaw: armor had been
sacrificed for speed. In 1941, the Hood confronted the legendary
German warship Bismarck. A salvo from the enemy penetrated the
Hood's ammunition magazine, destroying the British ship and killing
all but three of its crew. The brutal defeat marked the end of the
Royal Navy's dominance. But it also inspired Winston Churchill's
vow to sink the Bismarck--a vow that in time was fulfilled. Through
oral history and documentary research, Ernle Bradford chronicles
the Hood's career from design to demise, with colorful insight into
life aboard the ship as well as its broader historical
significance.
The bestselling author of The Journeying Moon explores the history
and culture of Sicily in this colorful travel memoir. In his memoir
The Journeying Moon, historian Ernle Bradford recounts the call to
adventure that brought him and his wife, Janet, to a life on the
sea. Continuing their adventures aboard the Mother Goose, Bradford
and Janet now voyage around the island of Sicily, where the couple
explores the land and learns its captivating history. Home to
ancient temple ruins, charming villages, and Mount Etna, the
largest active volcano in Europe, Sicily provides the perfect
backdrop for this tale of exploration and wonder. In a model travel
narrative, Bradford captures the sights, sounds, and flavors of
Sicily in his lively portrayal of an excursion across an ancient
and extraordinary island, a part of Italy and yet a world unto
itself.
The authoritative biography of British explorer Sir Francis Drake,
from the bestselling author of The Great Siege. Long considered one
of the great heroes of British history, Sir Francis Drake was a
brilliant navigator, intrepid explorer, and fearsome warrior in
Queen Elizabeth's Royal Navy. He was also a pirate and profiteer
who made a small fortune trading slaves. In this compelling
biography, Ernle Brandford offers an unvarnished and finely
detailed portrait of this complex and influential man. Born to
impoverished parents in Devon, Drake rose to power by his own
efforts. In his most famous expedition, he sailed around South
America through the Strait of Magellan, opening new trade routes
for Great Britain. Continuing across the Pacific and around the tip
of Africa, he became the first Englishman to sail around the world.
Drake also played a key role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada
when England was threatened with invasion in 1588. Vastly
outnumbered, he led raids into Spanish ports, destroying dozens of
ships. But while tales of his exploits have been told for
generations, few authors have approached the story of his life with
as much depth, authority, and honesty as Bradford.
An engrossing chronicle of the Fourth Crusade and the fall of the
Holy Roman Empire, from the bestselling author of Thermopylae. At
the dawn of the thirteenth century, Constantinople stood as the
bastion of Christianity in Eastern Europe. The capital city of the
Byzantine Empire, it was a center of art, culture, and commerce
that had commanded trading routes between Asia, Russia, and Europe
for hundreds of years. But in 1204, the city suffered a devastating
attack that would spell the end of the Holy Roman Empire. The army
of the Fourth Crusade had set out to reclaim Jerusalem, but under
the sway of their Venetian patrons, the crusaders diverted from
their path in order to lay siege to Constantinople. With
longstanding tensions between the Roman Catholic and Eastern
Orthodox churches, the crusaders set arms against their Christian
neighbors, destroying a vital alliance between Eastern and Western
Rome. In The Great Betrayal, historian Ernle Bradford brings to
life this powerful tale of envy and greed, demonstrating the
far-reaching consequences this siege would have across Europe for
centuries to come.
The "outstanding" biography of the Italian navigator and explorer
from the bestselling author of The Great Siege (The New York
Times). Christopher Columbus, credited with discovering America in
1492, was a great explorer who forever changed the world--but his
iconic image obscures a far more complex and fascinating life
story. Born Cristoforo Colombo, the son of a weaver from Genoa, he
renounced his father's trade early in life and took to sailing.
Though he began in the Mediterranean, Columbus soon found
employment sailing the Atlantic Ocean, where he experienced
shipwreck, inclement weather, and perhaps the Norse legends of
uncharted lands to the west. With the help of Florentine astronomer
Paolo Toscanelli, who in turn based his theories on the works of
Marco Polo, Columbus devised a plan to find a western passage to
the Indies. Though he achieved something far greater--the discovery
of a hemisphere previously unknown to Europeans--Columbus insisted
to the end of his days that he had succeeded. In this engrossing
and deeply researched biography, historian Ernle Bradford portrays
Columbus's stubbornness and greed, as well as his genius, bravery,
and masterly navigation skills.
A gripping biography of Admiral Nelson, Napoleonic War hero and one
of Britain's greatest naval tacticians. In the Battle of Trafalgar,
Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson sent the signal from his flagship HMS
Victory, "England expects that every man will do his duty." His
defeat of the French that day in 1805 was a decisive turning point
in the Napoleonic Wars, establishing British control of the seas.
His death in that heroic battle gave those words immortal
significance. For his bravery in battle and brilliance as a naval
tactician, Admiral Nelson remains one of Britain's most inspiring
heroes. In this nuanced and lively biography, Ernle Bradford
presents the man behind the legend. From his youthful days in the
Royal Navy to his famous battles and scandalous personal life,
Horatio Nelson is shown here in all his human complexity. "This
skillful portrait . . . combines accessible naval history with a
psychological examination of heroism." --Kirkus Reviews
The life of the first-century man born Saul of Tarsus, who went on
to become Paul the Apostle, by the acclaimed historian and author
of Thermopylae. Paul, born into Asia Minor's Jewish aristocracy and
a passionate student of scripture, was part of the crowd that
killed Stephen, a deacon regarded as the first Christian martyr.
But on the road to Damascus, Paul experienced a miracle that would
change his life and in turn change history. His conversion left him
convinced that his true master was the man who would come to be
known as Jesus Christ. Drawing on his vast command of ancient
history and blending it with superb storytelling skills, author
Ernle Bradford weaves a tale that takes the reader from city to
city as Paul spreads the teachings of Christ despite being beaten,
stoned, and shipwrecked. It's a thrilling tale and stirring
biography of a man whose devotion and rhetorical genius laid the
groundwork for the religion that soon swept the civilized world.
Written by a historian known for immersing himself in his subjects,
which range from the ancient world to World War II, this is a
fascinating look at the convert who helped shape Christianity as a
worldwide force.
An impressively accessible narrative depicting the three-day battle
for the pass at Thermopylae (the Hot Gates)--a critical contest in
Xerxes's massive invasion of Greece. The bloody stand made there by
Leonidas and his small Spartan army in 480 B.C. has been hailed
ever since as an outstanding example of patriotism, courage, and
sacrifice.
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