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By the early sixteenth century,
Rhodes, the “Isle of Blossoming Roses,” had become
a thorn in the Ottoman Empire’s side. Located only eleven
miles from the coast of Ottoman Asia Minor, the island was controlled
by the Order of the Knights of St. John (later known as the Knights
of Malta), former crusaders who by then had two specialties: tending
to ailing Christians and pirating Muslim ships. In 1522, Sultan
Suleiman I resolved to put an end to it and unleashed a force
of a hundred thousand troops to besiege the island.
In this, the second installment
in the East Mediterranean Trilogy, master historian Nanami
Shiono weaves another rich and fascinating narrative around a
key battle between Islam and Christendom. An inspiring portrait
of nobility and courage in the face of overwhelming odds, it also
offers a rare glimpse into the history of one of the most important
knightly orders. |
“Reading
Nanami Shiono’s historical tales is like uncovering brilliant
stories in an ancient scroll.”
–Gendai Weekly
“With
extreme literary prowess and a major subject, Shiono vividly recalls
a historically unique battle of empires.”
–East Asian Economy Weekly
“Shiono
has a talent for weaving the thoughts of diverse
characters into a credible narrative [and] depict[ing],
in elegant prose, the decisive moments of the battle...
A well-paced and entertaining insight into
the fall of a city and the various political and
religious forces that contributed to its decline.”
––The International Herald Tribune |
