Suleiman the Magnificent
By Antony Bridge
While many Western books have been written about the crusades, relatively few have vividly described Islam’s counter-crusades. This book tells that story.
Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan of the Ottoman Turks, was one of the most powerful figures in the 16th-century world. This enjoyable account of his impact on Christian Europe shows him battering on the gates of Vienna, engaged in running battles with the Hungarians and the Knights of St John, and in constant conflict with the navies of the Mediterranean powers.
To the Habsburg Emperor Charles V, and to King Francis I of France, Suleiman – working from his base in Constantinople – was the head of a super-power to be reckoned with. The epic sieges of Rhodes, Vienna and Malta are the big action set-pieces of the book. The Janissaries of the Sultan hold centre stage.
When Suleiman died in 1566 the power of the Turks began to wane. With him the forces of militant Islam had reached their high watermark.
Suleiman the Magnificent describes the great man’s life and times in vivid and engrossing detail. It will be of particular interest to military history and Islamic history enthusiasts, as well as those with a more general interest in history and biography.