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The Two Sieges of Rhodes, 1480-1522
The Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem were the last of the crusaders. Having been driven from the Holy Land by militant Islamic forces and then pushed from Cyprus, the Knights seized the island of Rhodes from the Byzantine emperor Andronicus II Palaeologus in 1310. The Knights ruled Rhodes for 212 years. Eventually the island and its city were besieged, unsuccessfully by Ottoman ruler Mehmet II in 1480, and then captured by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1522. Their eviction from Rhodes after the valorous defense of the island led the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to present the order with the island of Malta.
Eric Brockman has tried to “set the two principal scenes against their background in time” by using first-hand accounts and standard authorities in several languages.
Eric Brockman has tried to “set the two principal scenes against their background in time” by using first-hand accounts and standard authorities in several languages.
184 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1969
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 23, 2013
A crusading order evicted from the Holy Land at the end of the thirteenth century, the Knights Hospitaller needed a home to continue opposing Islamic expansion. Settling on the island of Rhodes near Asia Minor, they commenced raiding Muslim shipping in the eastern Mediterranean. Relying on first person accounts and other historic documents, Eric Brockman details a pair of Turkish assaults aimed at ousting the offending Knights from their Rhodian stronghold.
History, tactics, religion and politics all play a part as the outnumbered religious order scraps to defend their harbor fortress. Brockman sets the attacks against the backdrop of a disunited Christian Europe, unwilling to rally in support of the Knights against the growing might of the Ottoman Empire.
A very readable account with personalities and intrigue coloring the narrative. At 163 pages, I thought the book a little short for two sieges. Still, it does set the stage for later historic events in the ongoing war between the Ottoman Turks and the Knights Hospitaller of St. John.
History, tactics, religion and politics all play a part as the outnumbered religious order scraps to defend their harbor fortress. Brockman sets the attacks against the backdrop of a disunited Christian Europe, unwilling to rally in support of the Knights against the growing might of the Ottoman Empire.
A very readable account with personalities and intrigue coloring the narrative. At 163 pages, I thought the book a little short for two sieges. Still, it does set the stage for later historic events in the ongoing war between the Ottoman Turks and the Knights Hospitaller of St. John.
August 24, 2020
In the 16th century, the idea that European civilisation would come to dominate the world in the following centuries seemed extremely unlikely. Yes, it is true, mariners and adventurers had opened up the New World and sent Christian ships into the Indian Ocean, but Europe itself was fracturing, its medieval unity of religion breaking on the rocks of the Reformation, while from the east, the rising power of the Ottomans appeared to be flowing westward as inexorably as the tide.
With the gaze of Christian princes turned to the wider world beyond the Mediterranean, the main defence against Ottoman expansion was left to the Knights Hospitaller, the last of the monastic crusading orders, from their fortress island of Rhodes. In 1480, the conqueror of Constantinople, Mehmed, tried to take the island but a heroic defence turned him back. 42 years later, his great-grandson, Suleiman, tried again and this time a similarly heroic defence could only delay him since no Christian prince was willing or able to send a relieving force, so conscious were they of their rivalry and enmity.
Brockman tells the story of the two epic sieges well, making good use of the contemporary sources, although I would cavil at some of his interpretations. But overall an excellent account of the start of the war for the Mediterranean.
With the gaze of Christian princes turned to the wider world beyond the Mediterranean, the main defence against Ottoman expansion was left to the Knights Hospitaller, the last of the monastic crusading orders, from their fortress island of Rhodes. In 1480, the conqueror of Constantinople, Mehmed, tried to take the island but a heroic defence turned him back. 42 years later, his great-grandson, Suleiman, tried again and this time a similarly heroic defence could only delay him since no Christian prince was willing or able to send a relieving force, so conscious were they of their rivalry and enmity.
Brockman tells the story of the two epic sieges well, making good use of the contemporary sources, although I would cavil at some of his interpretations. But overall an excellent account of the start of the war for the Mediterranean.
May 10, 2020
I LIKE THIS BOOK.
August 17, 2025
Short, concise history of the two Ottoman attempts to seize Rhodes.
September 9, 2016
This is a very straightforward book about two moments in time that were significant in themselves, but have been overwhelmed by all that was going on around them.
The Knights Hospitallers were formed during the early Crusades and rapidly became, along with the Knights Templar and Teutonic Knights, one of the pre-eminent military formations that secured the Crusader States against the Saracens.
As the Holy Land fell back under the control of the Sultans, the order moved from Jerusalem, to Acre and finally out of the Holy Land altogether, to headquarter itself on the island of Rhodes. As the Ottomans gained in strength, took Constantinople and secured their Eastern frontiers, the existence of this thorn pricking their flanks became a problem that had to be acted upon.
At first Sultan Mehmet was open to coming to an agreement with the Knights, to live and let live. The problem with this approach was that the Knight's sole raison d'etre was to fight Islam, so there was never going to be detente with the Ottomans.
The siege of 1480 was a disaster for the Turks. The Knights held out, with little reinforcement from other Christian rulers, and the Turks, despite their superior numbers, could not find a way through the fortifications of the city. The Turks man-for-man were no match for the Knights who, with their plate armour and heavy swords, were well protected and dangerous adversaries.
Rhodes was given forty years breathing space owing to internal machinations of the Sultanate, but when Suleiman the Magnificent took the throne, he was determined to destroy Rhodes. After he had subdued Budapest, and the Knights had again refused to come to terms with the Ottoman, Suleiman gathered a huge army, and invested the Knights headquarters.
Unfortunately for the Hospitallers, 1522 was a bad year to be looking for help from the Christian world. The stirrings of the Reformation, and wars between many of the great Christian princes meant that there was not much interest in what was going on in Rhodes, or in what the Ottomans were doing.
The Knights had spent the 40 years since the last siege working hard on improving their defences, but the technology of firearms had also improved, and the Turks had many large cannon with which to batter the walls of the town. And batter them they did over the course of six months.
At the end of this time, not only were the Knights depleted militarily, but the normal citizens of Rhodes were rebellious. When the Sultan made it plain that if the town was to surrender lives would be spared, it was clear that despite what the commanders thought, the siege was over.
All the Knights who wished to were allowed to leave Rhodes unscathed, and the order continued in various places, until settling on Malta, which is another story. The order still claimed Rhodes as its own until very recently.
Brockman, a Knight of Malta himself, has written a breezy history of both sieges, with just enough connecting information so the "average reader" can make sense of it all. His liberal use of contemporary writings adds colour and gives some indication of the conditions that the battles were fought under, and the state of mind of the combatants.
This edition had useful maps, and some fine plates of contemporary paintings of some of the main actors and locations.
If you're into the Crusades, or the Knights, worth fishing out.
Check out my other reviews at http://aviewoverthebell.blogspot.com.au/
The Knights Hospitallers were formed during the early Crusades and rapidly became, along with the Knights Templar and Teutonic Knights, one of the pre-eminent military formations that secured the Crusader States against the Saracens.
As the Holy Land fell back under the control of the Sultans, the order moved from Jerusalem, to Acre and finally out of the Holy Land altogether, to headquarter itself on the island of Rhodes. As the Ottomans gained in strength, took Constantinople and secured their Eastern frontiers, the existence of this thorn pricking their flanks became a problem that had to be acted upon.
At first Sultan Mehmet was open to coming to an agreement with the Knights, to live and let live. The problem with this approach was that the Knight's sole raison d'etre was to fight Islam, so there was never going to be detente with the Ottomans.
The siege of 1480 was a disaster for the Turks. The Knights held out, with little reinforcement from other Christian rulers, and the Turks, despite their superior numbers, could not find a way through the fortifications of the city. The Turks man-for-man were no match for the Knights who, with their plate armour and heavy swords, were well protected and dangerous adversaries.
Rhodes was given forty years breathing space owing to internal machinations of the Sultanate, but when Suleiman the Magnificent took the throne, he was determined to destroy Rhodes. After he had subdued Budapest, and the Knights had again refused to come to terms with the Ottoman, Suleiman gathered a huge army, and invested the Knights headquarters.
Unfortunately for the Hospitallers, 1522 was a bad year to be looking for help from the Christian world. The stirrings of the Reformation, and wars between many of the great Christian princes meant that there was not much interest in what was going on in Rhodes, or in what the Ottomans were doing.
The Knights had spent the 40 years since the last siege working hard on improving their defences, but the technology of firearms had also improved, and the Turks had many large cannon with which to batter the walls of the town. And batter them they did over the course of six months.
At the end of this time, not only were the Knights depleted militarily, but the normal citizens of Rhodes were rebellious. When the Sultan made it plain that if the town was to surrender lives would be spared, it was clear that despite what the commanders thought, the siege was over.
All the Knights who wished to were allowed to leave Rhodes unscathed, and the order continued in various places, until settling on Malta, which is another story. The order still claimed Rhodes as its own until very recently.
Brockman, a Knight of Malta himself, has written a breezy history of both sieges, with just enough connecting information so the "average reader" can make sense of it all. His liberal use of contemporary writings adds colour and gives some indication of the conditions that the battles were fought under, and the state of mind of the combatants.
This edition had useful maps, and some fine plates of contemporary paintings of some of the main actors and locations.
If you're into the Crusades, or the Knights, worth fishing out.
Check out my other reviews at http://aviewoverthebell.blogspot.com.au/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews