EMPIRES OF THE SEA The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World

John Lee's varied pacing and tone, accurate pronunciation, and evident interest make even the best books better. His excellent narration of EMPIRES OF THE SEA is a case in point. Here he recounts the bloody struggle from 1521 to 1571 for control of the Mediterranean between the Ottoman Empire and the Catholic forces of Spain, Venice, the Vatican, and the Knights of St. John. The well-told story contains a lot of detail. Lee keep us interested in every piece of it, from the provisioning of fleets and design of forts to the fate of the boats' chained oarsmen. This segment of largely unknown history comes alive in a well-written and well-narrated account. R.E.K. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]