Lepanto 1571: The Greatest Naval Battle of the Renaissance

Osprey Campaign #114

by Angus Konstam, Tony Bryan (Illustrator)

For much of the 16th century the Mediterranean was a battleground between Christians and Muslims. A decisive battle between two large galley fleets was expected to decide the fate of the entire Mediterranean basin. In August 1571, an Ottoman fleet of some 235 galleys encountered the slightly smaller Christian fleet of the Holy League. In a five hour melee the Christians inflicted a decisive defeat on the Turks. Lepanto was the last great galley fight of all time and one of the most decisive naval battles in history. This book details the course of one of the most crucial military campaigns of the Renaissance.

Genres: History, Military History, Naval History, Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published February 19, 2003

About the author

Angus Konstam is a Scottish writer of popular history. Born in Aberdeen, Scotland and raised on the Orkney Islands, he has written more than a hundred books on maritime history, naval history, historical atlases, with a special focus on the history of piracy.

Reviews

[John Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick bit of revision. The Osprey books on battles are in general very well done: good graphics, well laid out, and a format that works very well. For this battle, an entirely naval affair, not so much. There a re quite a few diagrams, but with the majority of the descriptions coming from relatively few sources, the actual descriptions of the battle itself are rather simple accounts, and there is very little coverage of many of the naval issues, although the early descriptions of the galleys and some of their limitations are good enough, but not to give you much real context. I've read better, but this was here and I needed a refresher.

[Glyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise precis of one of the most decisive military engagements in history.

Konstam writes in an easy and readable style which makes his description of the bewildering politics surrounding the Holy League itself, let alone the war with the Ottoman Empire, a delight not a chore.

The format and size of the book mean that this could only ever be a brief description of the greater conflict. If you wish that I can heartily recommend "Empires of the Sea" by Roger Crowley but the description of the fighting and the ships involved is clear and effective.

[Bruinrefugee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good, short discussion of the battle of Lepanto in 1571. It does a good job of setting up the story, the personalities involved, and actual battle. No mention of Cervantes, however. It does a good job of identifying where the Ottomans and various European powers were situated at the time, as well as the stakes involved. The aftermath discussion is a little short, but puts into context both the Ottoman rebuilding of its fleet -- the weaknesses of it -- the lack of follow-through from the Europeans and the general situation in a manner that is, unfortunately a little shorter on detail and perspective than ideal. Overall though, a strong entry in the series and a good way to orient around the big changes taking place in the mid- to late-16th century.