Read Online Defenders of the Faith Charles V Suleyman the Magnificent and the Battle for Europe 15201536 Audible Audio Edition James Reston Jr Jim Meskimen Inc Blackstone Audio Books
Download As PDF : Defenders of the Faith Charles V Suleyman the Magnificent and the Battle for Europe 15201536 Audible Audio Edition James Reston Jr Jim Meskimen Inc Blackstone Audio Books
A best-selling historian recounts 16 years that shook the world - the epic clash between Europe and the Ottoman Turks that ended the Renaissance and brought Islam to the gates of Vienna.
In the best-selling Warriors of God and Dogs of God, James Reston Jr. limned two epochal conflicts between Islam and Christendom. Here he examines the ultimate battle in that centuries-long war, which found Europe at its most vulnerable and Islam on the attack. This drama was propelled by two astonishing young sovereigns Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Turkish sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. Though they represented two colliding worlds, they were remarkably similar. Each was a poet and cultured cosmopolitan; each was the most powerful man on his continent; each was called "Defender of the Faith"; and each faced strident religious rebellion in his domain.
With Europe newly hobbled and the Turks suffused with restless vigor, the stage was set for a drama that unfolded from Hungary to Rhodes and ultimately to Vienna itself, which both sides thought the Turks could win. If that happened, it was generally agreed that Europe would become Muslim as far west as the Rhine.
During these same years, Europe was roiled by constant internal tumult that saw, among other spectacles, the Diet of Worms, the Sack of Rome, and an actual wrestling match between the English and French monarchs in which Henry VIII's pride was badly hurt. Would - could - this fractious continent be united to repulse a fearsome enemy?
Read Online Defenders of the Faith Charles V Suleyman the Magnificent and the Battle for Europe 15201536 Audible Audio Edition James Reston Jr Jim Meskimen Inc Blackstone Audio Books
"This is a wonderfully entertaining reading experience that focuses on a number of leaders at a crucial historical nexus: the protestant movement is beginning to gain force (Martin Luther and Zwingli), absolutist nation-states are replacing the more loosely controlled feudal empire (Francis 1, Henry 8, et al.), and the Turkish Empire is reaching the limits of its expansion and about to begin its decline. The great virtue of this book is that it tells it all in an enthralling story, with bits of analysis thrown in, vivid characterizations that some argue is novelistic, and an evocation of what it might have felt like to live at that time. For what it is worth, I enjoyed every single page like it was a film.
While some reviewers criticize this book as not academic enough, I suppose they have a point. This is popular history par excellence, for the general reader and not the scholar. If the reader knows this and has the right expectations at the start, it is great fun. If the reader expects something more academic, they will not find it here.
There were a number of developments at this time that created fundamental precedents, all inter-related. First, the northern German states were ready to exit from the yoke of the Catholic church. They were developing the means (predominantly military) to do so and found their intellectual justification in the hands of a great firebrand, Luther, who supplied them with arguments and powerful writings that spread via the movable-type press.
Second, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V sees himself as the defender of the Catholic orthodoxy, underpinning as it did (via the Pope) his legitimacy as the pre-eminent secular lord of a vast feudal empire that was supposed to be spiritually united. However, he also had the task of defending all of Christiandom, which preoccupied much of his career. He also had to fight the Pope from allying himself with Francis 1.
Third, in Suleyman, you have the last Turkish leader-conqueror of genuine genius. His armies were advancing into EUrope, fighting the Shiite "heresy" in Persia, expanding into Northern Africa, and developing naval dominance of the entire Mediterranean. Suleyman takes Hungry and threatens Vienna.
Fourth, you have proto-nation states in Britain and France, whose kings are consolidating power in narrower borders in ways that will enable them to forge armies far stronger than the loose feudal coalitions of knights and mercenaries under the command of Charles V. The chivalric era is clearly on its way out, to be replaced by tightly disciplined armies under unified command, armed with firearms and canons for blanket-area killing rather than only swords and pikes for individual-style combat.
While Charles V wanted to burn Luther at the stake, he had to allow the protestants time in order to unite Christians to repel the Turks. Once he turned his attention back to Northern Germany, it was too late to dislodge them either militarily or against their deeply engrained beliefs. Meanwhile, Henry 8 wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon (who also happened to be Charles V's niece), but faced bureaucratic delays (of special dispensation from the Pope) due to the wars over control of Italy, first by Francis 1 and later by Charles V; eventually, Henry went his own way, opening England to Protestantism in the next generation. This was context that I didn't know.
Reston weaves these developments together as if in a novel. My daughter (15) picked it up and, to my delight, could not put it down. For myself, while I am familiar with much of the history already, it was a delicious re-telling of events that served as a review of things I studied long ago.
Warmly recommended. Books like this make history fun, helping to spark a young mind to further inquiry in more seriously academic sources. It does end a bit abruptly, even arbitrarily, but after most of the action had set forces in motion that we feel to this day. This is a perfect snapshot in time."
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Defenders of the Faith Charles V Suleyman the Magnificent and the Battle for Europe 15201536 Audible Audio Edition James Reston Jr Jim Meskimen Inc Blackstone Audio Books Reviews :
Defenders of the Faith Charles V Suleyman the Magnificent and the Battle for Europe 15201536 Audible Audio Edition James Reston Jr Jim Meskimen Inc Blackstone Audio Books Reviews
- This is an amazing book that delves into the history of not only the Muslim invasions of Eastern Europe, but the Reformation, the peasant wars, the subterfuge occurring between the Vatican, Charles V, Francis I and Henry VIII and the European proclivity of all of those factions battling one another, instead of concentrating on the looming Islamic threat on Europe's eastern doorstep.
- James Reston does a fantastic job in writing of this period of history. The salvation of Western Europe from the Ottoman Empire in this period of time is miraculous. The chaos which Martin Luther's revolution caused in a once unified Christian Europe is amply explained. The further split caused by Henry VIII of England is intriquing. The indecisiveness of Pope Clement VII is inexplicable. The inaction of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V to save Vienna, let alone Budapest is annoying. Reston explains the chaotic era in Europe at this juncture of history - the corruption within the Catholic Church, the proclamation of a new Holy Roman Emperor, the religious turmoil, the rise of nationalism among the multitude of European princes,the impact of the printed word, and the lack of a united front against the invasion of Eastern Europe by Suleyman, of the Ottoman Empire. As a result, it causes one to ponder the present fate of Western civilization in the twenty-first century.
- Great 'flip side of the coin' to religious studies of the Reformation Era. He's too apologetic when portraying the dark side of Islam, and too hostile toward Lutheranism, but overall does a great job showing the political, military, economic, and social conflicts between East and West as manifest in the Moslem failure to take Vienna, but having much success elsewhere. He tells many fascinating stories about individuals who pop back up over and over again to shape history.
- This is a wonderfully entertaining reading experience that focuses on a number of leaders at a crucial historical nexus the protestant movement is beginning to gain force (Martin Luther and Zwingli), absolutist nation-states are replacing the more loosely controlled feudal empire (Francis 1, Henry 8, et al.), and the Turkish Empire is reaching the limits of its expansion and about to begin its decline. The great virtue of this book is that it tells it all in an enthralling story, with bits of analysis thrown in, vivid characterizations that some argue is novelistic, and an evocation of what it might have felt like to live at that time. For what it is worth, I enjoyed every single page like it was a film.
While some reviewers criticize this book as not academic enough, I suppose they have a point. This is popular history par excellence, for the general reader and not the scholar. If the reader knows this and has the right expectations at the start, it is great fun. If the reader expects something more academic, they will not find it here.
There were a number of developments at this time that created fundamental precedents, all inter-related. First, the northern German states were ready to exit from the yoke of the Catholic church. They were developing the means (predominantly military) to do so and found their intellectual justification in the hands of a great firebrand, Luther, who supplied them with arguments and powerful writings that spread via the movable-type press.
Second, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V sees himself as the defender of the Catholic orthodoxy, underpinning as it did (via the Pope) his legitimacy as the pre-eminent secular lord of a vast feudal empire that was supposed to be spiritually united. However, he also had the task of defending all of Christiandom, which preoccupied much of his career. He also had to fight the Pope from allying himself with Francis 1.
Third, in Suleyman, you have the last Turkish leader-conqueror of genuine genius. His armies were advancing into EUrope, fighting the Shiite "heresy" in Persia, expanding into Northern Africa, and developing naval dominance of the entire Mediterranean. Suleyman takes Hungry and threatens Vienna.
Fourth, you have proto-nation states in Britain and France, whose kings are consolidating power in narrower borders in ways that will enable them to forge armies far stronger than the loose feudal coalitions of knights and mercenaries under the command of Charles V. The chivalric era is clearly on its way out, to be replaced by tightly disciplined armies under unified command, armed with firearms and canons for blanket-area killing rather than only swords and pikes for individual-style combat.
While Charles V wanted to burn Luther at the stake, he had to allow the protestants time in order to unite Christians to repel the Turks. Once he turned his attention back to Northern Germany, it was too late to dislodge them either militarily or against their deeply engrained beliefs. Meanwhile, Henry 8 wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon (who also happened to be Charles V's niece), but faced bureaucratic delays (of special dispensation from the Pope) due to the wars over control of Italy, first by Francis 1 and later by Charles V; eventually, Henry went his own way, opening England to Protestantism in the next generation. This was context that I didn't know.
Reston weaves these developments together as if in a novel. My daughter (15) picked it up and, to my delight, could not put it down. For myself, while I am familiar with much of the history already, it was a delicious re-telling of events that served as a review of things I studied long ago.
Warmly recommended. Books like this make history fun, helping to spark a young mind to further inquiry in more seriously academic sources. It does end a bit abruptly, even arbitrarily, but after most of the action had set forces in motion that we feel to this day. This is a perfect snapshot in time. - This is excellent history and easy to read! Almost like a novel.
Helped me to really understand this critical period of European history (1520 - 1536) when Martin Luther launched his well known split from the Catholic church. Prior to this book, I had no idea how much the Lutheran success was intertwined with Ottoman power, Charles V (Holy Roman emperor), Henry VIII, Francis I (France), and 3 Popes.
Required reading for anyone who wants to understand how today's western world came to be. - These are good popular histories--fun to read, lots of facts, reasonable balance. Enormous bibliographical reading lists. I can't say that the author is entirely without bias. He seems to me very forgiving of Clement VII, and rather mocking of Martin Luther.
- This is a great read for a solid history book. The decades of 1520's and 1530's when so much happened. Ottoman Empire attacking Europe and Asia, Martin Luther reforming the church, and all kinds of intrigue. Easy to follow and very well presented.
- This book was fantastic. A great read with a neat point of view in comparing the Christian & Muslim leaders of the time.
