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Title: Malta 1565 : Last Battle of the Crusades by Tim Pickles, Christa Hook, Lee Johnson, Osprey ISBN: 1-85532-830-5 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: September, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.25 (4 reviews)
Rating: 1
Summary: What a joke
Comment: After yawning through the first few chapters of Mr. Pickles latest attempt, I gratefully fell asleep and never picked Malta up again. Apparently Mr. Pickles fell asleep during his research for the book as well, as the number of inaccuracies in his research are astounding- I advise him to start publishing under the pseudonym "General Doofus". Don't buy this book unless you want to indulge the pocketbooks of a talentless author who spends more time pretending to be a General in lieu getting his facts straight. He should be drafted into service and sent to the front lines of any conflict we can find- then maybe he can learn to author a decent book.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Well-Told Tale of Heroic Leadership
Comment: This is one of the very best of the Osprey Campaign series. The author succinctly describes the strategic background to the campaign, opposing plans, leaders and the forces involved. Order of Battle information is a bit sketchy. Once the Turks arrive, it became a bitter fight to the finish between two experienced and fanatical forces. This story is very interesting for military professionals to study because the outcome of the siege was close throughout, requiring imaginative use of "combat multipliers" and sound generalship. Both the heroism and leadership of La Valette are well told by the author. The maps depicting the key actions are excellent. Perhaps there are some minor errors (and what work of history is without error or omission?), but in this book there is a pathos of a long ago battle that is brought to vivid life by the author.
Rating: 2
Summary: Malta, 1565: Mediocrity, 1999
Comment: The Great Siege of Malta was one of the most epic battles of the Wars of Religion. To date, the most popular book on this topic has been Ernle Bradford's "The Great Siege". While a gripping and highly readable account, it fell far short on providing specific details of the conflict. Despite this, it was responsible for developing my strong interest in the battle, and remains a personal favorite.
When I first heard of impending publication of Mr.Pickles work - and by Osprey Publications no less, reknowned for their level of research - I went so far as to pre-order it, sight unseen. Unfortunately, the initial high hopes held for this book were quickly dashed.
There are no new insights offered, and the level of historic detail is wanting. Armchair military historians are offered little in the way of explanation of unit organization, tactics, logistics or command structures. Indeed, in some ways the book is a step backward, in that its maps, while colorful, contain incorrect dates, events and troop locations.
Evidence of a general sloppiness of research is further reflected in the sparse bibliography, which ignores such critical contemporary works as Bosio's "History of the Order of St. John", as well as more modern efforts like John Guilmartin's "Gunpowder and Galleys." How this surprisingly short list of references got past the eye of Dr. David Chandler, the highly respected editor of the Osprey series, is a source of wonder.
Finally, the author's proposed rules for wargaming the Siege betray his unfamiliarity with the medium; if attempted, the amount of die rolling required by a game player would quickly send them to the hospital with a wrist injury. Its best to just pass them by.
Its not that this so much a 'bad' book, as much as its just so... mediocre. Primarily, it boils down to a retelling of Bradford's tale, but with some flashier pictures and a far heavier hand. A disappointment.
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Title: Constantinople 1453: The End of Byzantium (Campaign Series, 78) by David, Phd Nicolle ISBN: 1841760919 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: April, 2001 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Lepanto 1571 (Campaign, 114) by Angus Konstam, Christa Hook, Tony Bryan ISBN: 1841764094 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: February, 2003 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Knight Hospitaller (2): 1306-1565 (Warrior, 41) by David Nicolle, Christa Hook, Osprey Publishing ISBN: 1841762156 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: November, 2001 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Renaissance War Galley 1470-1590 by Angus Konstam, Tony Bryan ISBN: 1841764434 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: December, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Kalka River 1223: Genghiz Khan's Mongols Invade Russia (Campaign Series, 98.) by David Nicolle, V. Shpakovsky, V. Korolkov, Viacheslav Olegovich Shpakovskii, V. Shapakovsky ISBN: 1841762334 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: February, 2002 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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