Clash of Empires: The Red Sea

Name: Clash of Empires: The Red Sea
Rating: 4.2 (32 reviews)

by William Napier

Amazon

3.7(32)

Set in 1571, this novel follows English adventurers caught in the Mediterranean war between the Ottoman Empire and the Christian powers organised against it. After captivity and galley service, the characters are drawn back into the conflict as naval forces gather for a decisive confrontation. The book builds toward the Battle of Lepanto, using galley warfare, slavery, escape and religious conflict as the framework for the story.

Lepanto is approached from below deck as well as from the commanders’ viewpoint. Galley slaves, rowers, soldiers and sailors experience a naval system dependent on coerced labour and close-quarters violence, while religious propaganda presents the struggle in grander terms. The novel contrasts those competing perspectives as the Mediterranean fleets move toward one of the century’s largest naval battles.