Open Road Media The Great Siege, Malta 1565: Clash of Cultures: Christian Knights Defend Western Civilization Against the Moslem Tide

Recommended by a family member, i ordered it reservedly and started reading it the day it arrived. Two days later I had finished it, I honestly did not want to put it down (much to the annoyance of my wife). Very well written in a chronological order, with plenty of amazing facts of how such a few number of determind soldiers and islanders pulled together, throwing personal differences aside so that they could stand against the full force of the Ottoman Empire trying to capture the small Island of Malta in order that it could be used as a stepping stone to Europe.Why this has not been turned into a film is beyond me, it would be be a blockbuster if it was. The 5 stars are well deserved

This is an excellent audio book of a book originally published in 1961 by British historian Ernle (pronounced Ern-Lee) Bradford about the Ottoman attack on the island of Malta in 1565, intended to subjugate Malta and eliminate the Order of the Knights of Malta as a player in Mediterranean military and political affairs.In the 1950s and 1960s Ernle Bradford wrote a number of books about significant events in Mediterranean history, ranging from the ancient classical period, like Ulysses and the Odyessy, to the battle of Thermopolye, to the Crusades, to 15th and 16th events like the siege of Constantinople and the siege of Malta. Many of Bradford's books are still in print. They are all very good. Some are excellent.This book - and audio book - on the siege of Malta in 1565 falls into the excellent category. Bradford was a very good writer and his prose adapts well to narration. Simon Vance is a very good audio book reader, with good diction, phrasing and overall presentation.This particular piece of history, with the overtone of the conflict between Islam and the West and the Ottoman Sultan viewing the attack on Malta as a jihad against the Christians, is still relevant today. The historical events are fascinating and Bradford relates them extremely well. This is popular historical writing at its best.Bottom line: an excellent historical audio book. I have a forty minute commute to/from work and I typically spend my commute time listening to audio books. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.I see that a few commentators have suggested that this piece of history would make an excellent movie. I agree; it would. But I just can't see Hollywood making a movie out of this; for one thing, the outnumbered Christians (i.e. the West) defeated a much stronger Islamic army (about 9000 on the Christian side versus about 40,000 on the Turkish side). In today's politically correct environment, I just can't see such a movie being made; it would undoubtedly be considered "Islamophobic." Too bad; it would make a great movie.

"The Great Siege" is a fascinating study of the events surrounding the attempt in 1565 by the Moslem Turks to conquer Malta ,drive out the Christian Knights of St John and establish an Islamic hegemony over the Mediterranean ,with a view to using the island as a base for further expansion into Southern Europe. The book is written almost in the style of a novel with the narrative unfolding around the central characters Jean de la Vallette, the Knight's Grandmaster and Mustapha Pasha, the Commander of the Turkish Army ."The Great Siege" is completely absorbing and it conveys successfully the fanaticism and heroism of the participants.I was amazed at the courage and defiance shown by the Knights and their Maltese allies as they refused to bow to the superior numbers and firepower of the Turkish invaders first at St Elmo, whose resistance was unbelievable ,then at Senglea and Birgu. For four months the Knights held on against the Turks who had thought it would have been all over within four weeks, eventually demoralising them and forcing them to return home defeated. The book gives a blow by blow account of the Siege and provides details of the strategies and tactics of the respective military commanders."The Great Siege" is a remarkable true story and, looking back, its outcome is one of the great "What If's" of history. If the Turks had taken Malta, would swathes of Southern Europe have fallen to the Moslems and led to a very different geo-political landscape than that of today ? Their defeat by "The Incredibles", La Vallette's Knights and the Maltese, stung the Turks and destroyed their aura of invincibility -and they did it on their own, with no relief from outside. "The Great Siege" is a tale of individual heroism and collective bravery, of an immense religious and cultural conflagration and of a lionhearted people preferring martyrdom and death to submission.

Must read if you're going Malta in order to understand Maltas place in history and the enormous scale and purpose of the fortress of Valetta.

An easy and intriguing read about an Order and a nation that I knew very little about previously.