Sword and Scimitar, Scarrow - B+

           This novel is about the 1565 siege of Malta, which pitted the Order of St. John against the vastly superior attacking forces of the Sultan Suleiman. The Great Siege was a pivotal moment in European history. From the time of their conquest of Constantinople in 1454 until their defeat at the gates of Vienna in 1683, the Turks threatened Christian Europe and struck fear in the hearts of all. A few hundred men on Malta were all that was left of the Order that had fought in the Crusades. The Turks had ejected them from Rhodes in 1522. The island was defended by 500 knights, 3,000 soldiers from Italy and Spain, and 3,000 locals. The Turks arrived on May 8th with close to 40,000 men, many of whom were top flight infantry and cavalrymen. Grand Master LaValette ordered all civilians into the forts, the destruction of all crops, the burning of all houses, and the despoliation of all wells. The Turks landed on the south shore on the 9th and began to attack the forts and the city. They bombarded Ft. Elmo at the mouth of the harbor day and night throughout May, stormed it, and took it on June 23rd. Six thousand Turks died in the assaults on the fort; fifteen hundred defenders perished as well. Both sides fought to a standstill over the summer, slowly and inexorably grinding each other down. As fall approached and the rain began, the Turks made a last gasp attempt to seize the town Birgu, where the remaining civilians and soldiers were. Over three days of fighting, they breached the first wall, but failed before they could take the second. The Turks were as exhausted as the defenders. La Valette sensed that it might soon be over. And it was on September 7th when 8,000 men arrived from Spain to raise the siege. Six days later, they attacked and defeated the remaining Turks. I have skipped over the people who  drove the novel forward in order to focus on the history. Well-written historical novels enlighten us on some of the specifics of a time and this one has added immensely to my feel for medieval warfare.