Summary of Roger Crowley's Empires of the Sea

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 Suleiman’s first conquest was the storming of the fortress of Belgrade, the gateway to Hungary. The second was the capture of Rhodes. Rhodes was a strange anachronism—a Christian survivor from the medieval Crusades located within touching distance of the Islamic world. #2 The Knights of Saint John, a Christian order, held Rhodes in the name of the pope. They had been fighting in the long wars of the Holy Land until they were cut down, almost to a man, at Acre in May 1291. In exile, they searched for a means to continue the fight. #3 The Knights of Rhodes were a small military elite with a powerful sense of mission, who were supported by the local Greek population and mercenaries. They were hated and feared by both Muslims and Christians. #4 The Knights of Saint John were a military order based in Rhodes, and they were a threat to the Ottomans. Suleiman decided to take Rhodes, and he sent a French aristocrat named Philippe Villiers de L’Isle Adam to take charge of the situation.