In 1521; Suleiman the Magnificent; Muslim ruler of the Ottoman Empire; dispatched an invasion fleet to the Christian island of Rhodes. This would prove to be the opening shot in an epic clash between rival empires and faiths for control of the Mediterranean and the center of the world. In Empires of the Sea; acclaimed historian Roger Crowley has written a thrilling account of this brutal decades-long battle between Christendom and Islam for the soul of Europe; a fast-paced tale of spiraling intensity that ranges from Istanbul to the Gates of Gibraltar. Crowley conjures up a wild cast of pirates; crusaders; and religious warriors struggling for supremacy and survival in a tale of slavery and galley warfare; desperate bravery and utter brutality. Empires of the Sea is a story of extraordinary color and incident; and provides a crucial context for our own clash of civilizations.
#621224 in Books 2010-10-12 2010-10-12Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .53 x 5.20l; .45 #File Name: 0812966791256 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Relatively Peaceful EndingBy JimUncivil Society is an excellent overview of the Eastern Blok as it unfolded in the decade before 1989. In essence; these Soviet controlled economies couldn’t compete with the west economically or in terms of government. He calls the communist-infused officials and political leaders of principally East Germany; Romania and Poland; who made the bulk of decisions or; increasingly non-decisions as conditions deteriorated; an uncivil society bent on preserving the status quo. Attempting to preserve power as poverty increased and wages stagnated in the face of increased information via Radio Free Europe; for example; and; in the case of Poland; the influence of the church; led to a domino effect of relatively peaceful transitions relegating the uncivil society to observers of their own demise. Glasnost was impotent and Gorbachev inadvertently opened the flood gates of protest across all classes; principally workers. Kotkin’s analysis also suggests a sobering parallel between the bankruptcy of the Eastern elites and the ruinous excesses of Western elites as revealed in the financial meltdown of 2008.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Communist Collapse ExplainedBy Gail H. NelsonKotkin explains the events in the USSR and Eastern Europe up to 1989 with superb scholarship and authority including insightful interviews with major figures of the period.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Well Worth ReadingBy JackGives a thoughtful well-documented explanation of how the "uncivil" communist governments put in place after WW II in East Gemany; Poland Romania were unable to stand up to "civil" forces opposing them especially with the Soviet Union unwilling and maybe unable;to come to their aid.
