The Sieges of Rhodes 1480 and 1522

(Paperback)

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The Sieges of Rhodes 1480 and 1522 provides accounts of the two epic sieges of Rhodes when the Hospitallers of the Order of St John faced the might of the Ottomans. Photographs and maps included in the book fully illustrate what a nearly impossible task the Ottomans faced in both sieges. The two sieges illustrate the changes in warfare in the 40 years between them and the revolution in artillery that was taking place. The Sieges of Rhodes contains grand tales of the greatest heroes and the worst of villains, stories of ingenuity, bravery, cruelty and cowardice, tales which echoed across Christendom. When Grand Master Phillipe Villiers De L`Isle-Adam and the few surviving knights and brothers of the Order of St John departed from the port of Rhodes on 1 January 1523, the long history of the Crusades ended. The Order had protected the Latin States for almost 200 years until forced to leave after the fall of Acre in 1291. Unlike the Templars, they survived the disgrace of defeat and re-established themselves on the island of Rhodes. Here it was, that they remained a militant presence, always a challenge to the power of Islam and hopeful of reclaiming the Holy Land. The rise of Ottoman power in the mid-fifteenth century led to two great sieges, the first in the reign of Mehmed II in 1480 and the second by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1522. Both sieges were epic in their character and scale and added to the fame and prestige of the Hospitallers. The Grand Masters, on both occasions, provided inspiration not only for the garrisons but for Christendom. The sieges occurred in a critical period in Europe's political, religious and military history. In 1480, Christendom was united, and both the means of attack and the forms of defense were fundamentally late-medieval in nature. Both sides even built trebuchets, which had been thought long obsolete. In 1522, Europe was deeply divided, and the weapons and fortifications had dramatically changed. This book considers the medieval fortification and their transformation in the intervening years, according to the most up-to-date ideas. It also outlines the artillery revolution that occurred over the same period, with the massive, clumsy, but still powerful stone-throwing bombards giving way to narrow-bore cast bronze pieces, firing iron projectiles at much higher velocities and with much greater effect. The sieges are also of great technical interest to military historians because of the extensive use of pyrotechnics and mining. Fire was an especially horrible addition to the Hospitaller's arsenal, and the book summarizes what flame weapons were available and how they were used. The mining and counter-mining that took place in the second siege was an epic in its own right. Recent groundbreaking research has highlighted why the war underground was so extensive and became the most effective Ottoman strategy. The soldiers that faced each other were utterly unlike one another in arms, armor and tactics, although similar in religious devotion. What effect did this have on the outcome The Ottoman army, especially the Janissaries, were the terror of the East and West, yet they met their match on both occasions. How was it that a vastly numerically inferior force managed to fight their enemy to a standstill This can only be understood by studying the sieges in detail, which is possible because of the excellent first-hand accounts produced so soon after the events themselves. Therefore, the reader can experience the siege through the words of those who fought. The extraordinary survival of Hospitaller armor from Rhodes and the superb collections of Ottoman and Mameluke armor and weapons help illustrate the contrast between these warrior cultures. 16 colour plates, 65 b/w illustrations, 73 b/w photos, 7 b/w maps, 1 table

Author Bio

Jonathan Davies was a scholar of Sidney Sussex College Cambridge where he read history, before progressing to a career in teaching. He has spent the last forty years mostly teaching medieval and Tudor history as well as leading a medieval/Tudor reenactment group. He has written extensively on a wide range of historical subjects both civilian and military, including a book on the navy in the reign of Henry VIII. He has extensive first-hand experience in the handling of weapons from slings to swords, pikes to trebuchets and bronze cannons to crossbows. His latest project involved the design and casting of an octagonal bronze cannon barrel fitted with a matching field carriage, for his reenactment group. He has written about, conducted workshops and lectured on the understanding of the past through practical experience. He has followed the route of the First Crusade in an ancient ex-ambulance and has most recently completed a Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela on foot. He brings a lifetime of practical and academic experience to the subject, providing new insights into a topic which has often been little regarded.