In the morning of 7 October 1571, at the mouth of the gulf between mainland Greece and the Peloponnese, the fleets of the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League clashed in the last great battle between oared fighting ships. By four o'clock that afternoon the sea was red with blood. The Muslims lost 230 out of their 277 warships and about 20,000 men. It was the first time in over a century that Christians had successfully taken the offensive against them. In this important new history, Hugh Bicheno describes the clash of cultures that led to one of the greatest turning-point battles in history, As a description of the age-old conflict between Christianity and Islam, it is a story which still resonates today. |
Author: Hugh Bicheno Title: Crescent and Cross: The Battle of Lepanto 1571 Series: Elite First Published by: Orion Place: Format: HC Date: 12 June 2003 ISBN-10:0304363197 ISBN-13: 9780304363193 |