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

"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.

Once there was a time I did not care to much for history books and prefered fiction, but as I have grown older I find that good history, especially of monumental events far outclasses fiction, namely because in fiction the author normally focuses on a few characters and their motives can be quite shallow while in history every character once was a human being thinking for himself. So lately I read mostly military history and while many of the books I read tend to get technical or detailed there are a few that read like best fiction in the runing and smoothness of the telling of the story. Only it is better, because it was real. This is such a book. As for the book itself, it tells of the first Great Siege of Malta (the second of course in World War II), when the Ottoman Turks, then at the peak of their powers, having layed the Eastern Arab Kingdoms at their feet and fought their way to Austria in Western Europe set their mind and resources on the last of the Crusading Orders, The Order of St. John. Where two of the times greatest military units, the Christian Knights and Janissaries, Spartan bred Turkish units met. Also you get to know many of the most influential persons of those times, of their actions and sacrifice. In all one great read.

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

The 1565 Siege of Malta is a story of incredible courage and refusal to admit defeat which captured the imagination of all Europe (even the Protestant bits). This book is a very vivid telling of the story which manages to combine brutal battle scenes with strategic and tactical analysis, and descriptions of weaponry and fighting techniques in only about 250 pages. The hero is undoubtedly La Valette, Grand Master of the Knights, whose determination and steady leadership held the besieged garrisons firm. There are no villains, but the Turkish leadership was flawed by being divided between the military and naval branches and this led to strategic and tactical errors. This book fulfils its purpose in providing a concise account of a brutal but inspiring piece of history.

Malta is one of my favourite holiday destinations, and a fellow holiday maker recommended this book to me. I am very glad he did. It is a fascinating narrative of the battle against all the odds. Vastly outnumbered the Knights of StJohn and the people of Malta withstood a Turkish assault whose very experienced troops expected to overrun Malta in a few days, just as had happened when they invaded Rhodes. Rhodes a green and fertile land provided the attackers with all the provisions they required whereas Malta a sandy and rocky island did not. The Maltese people proved they were all very brave and not willing to give up there homeland. This historic event is a precursor for the more recent events in Malta during World War 2, when the island was battered by the German Forces resulting in a similar failure. I take my hat off to Malta which as a result of the populations bravery and steadfastness, is now Malta GC.

This is a very well written account of the Titanic battle between the Moslem Turks and the Knights of St John . Even if you know that the knights eventually outlast their opponents , its

I had the paperback version of this many years ago and stupidly lent it to a friend who never returned it then lost it. I've looked for it ever since and am delighted to have found it at last. The story is so epic in every sense and the characters described so vividly that I have missed them like old friends in the intervening years. These men were giants and the lives and the adversity they faced is astonishing but thanks to Mr Bradford not unimaginable. Told in full colour surround so you can smell the sea and the smoke this is a story that deserves to be read and reread. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I envy you reading it for the first time.

Interesting and informative history of the siege. Written in a slightly old-fashioned tone, but don't let that deter you.

A gripping true story told in remarkable detail that tells of courage, determination and ingenuity in the face of overwhelming odds: fewer than 10,000 Christians against the full might of Suleyman the Magnificent’s 30,000+ army and navy, fighting on the barren rock of Malta. This stirring tale deserves to be better known, especially amongst the English-speaking peoples.

It is sad not to be able to acknowledge the author in his life but his incredibly strong relating of the incredible bravery expressed in one of the greatest turning points in world history is worthy of history buffs attention. In the historical genre it is definitely worth 5 stars.

In the summer of 1565 on the parched ground of Malta, the future of Western Civilization was decided. Would the Moslems continue their expansion into the Mediterranean, preying on European ships and taking Christian slaves as far away as England? Or could they be held back? It was an epic struggle, an astounding tale of resolve and leadership, of disunity in command and disunity among allies. Soleyman the First was on the move. Even his European foes grudgingly said he earned the title “The Magnificent”. He had conquered large parts of the Middle East. His movement into Europe was only stopped at the gates of Vienna in 1529. But, at age 70, he was not resting on his laurels. Malta was a strategic thorn in the side of the Ottoman Empire, a base Christians could use to attack his supply and communication lines. It would not be the first time Soleyman had tangled with the Knights of St. John, the Hospitallers, who used Malta as their base. In 1493, he had driven them off Rhodes. But they had turned Malta with its fine harbors into a base for raiding Moslem shipping. Soleyman ordered two men to lead the assault on Malta. Mustapha Pasha would command the army. Piali would command the naval part of the expedition. The man they faced was the Grand Master of the Hospitallers, Jean Parisot de la Valette. A single-minded man of noble birth, he had given himself entirely to the Hospitallers whom he joined at the age of 20. He had survived a year as a galley slave in the Ottoman fleet. He would command the defense personally, fighting constantly under the hot sun in full armor at age 61. It was Valette who knew a siege was coming and fortified the island, who firmed the resolve of his men in the siege. With Valette, this is not only a compelling historical account but a study in leadership. Before the siege, the locals had little reason to love the Knights. But, during the siege, none of them became a turncoat. Nor did any of the local Jewish population who had no call to love the Christians. It was Valette’s resolve as a single commander that carried the day in the face of almost equal Moslem resolve and far superior numbers but a resolve weakened by their lack of a unified command. Bradford’s story, one of the first accounts of the siege in English (King Henry VIII had disbanded the English chapter of the Hospitallers and contemporary accounts are in French, Italian, and Spanish), is compelling history: thirst and disease, Hospitaller forts falling one by one, calling on the Viceroy of Sicily to help, men swimming channels in the teeth of enemy fire, and desperate sallies. Bradford concisely gives us the historical background to the main event, the organization and logistics of the opposing forces, maps of Malta and its fortifications, thumbnail biographies, and quotes from contemporary accounts. A glossary of terms is provided. There is no index, but that’s not a problem in a kindle edition. But Bradford also brings something else besides his skillful narration: a deep knowledge of Malta’s terrain and people. He was stationed there as a member of the Royal Navy in the second siege of Malta in World War Two. He sailed around the islands extensively. And, most importantly, he gives us local history and legend and folklore and poems about the siege. These were left out of contemporary histories, and the Maltese language had no alphabet until the 19th century. It’s a highly recommended book even for those not interested in military history or the Crusades and the peculiar Christian warriors they gave birth to. The Siege of Malta was their finest hour.

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

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