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The King's Private Army: Protecting the British Royal Family During the Second World War
by Andrew Stewart“Well-researched . . . tells the story of the military bodyguard known as the ‘Coats Mission’ led initially by Major Jimmy Coats, Coldstream Guards.” —The Guards MagazineFollowing the surrender of France in June 1940 Britain prepared to defend itself against a potential German invasion. In great secrecy a decision was taken to establish an elite bodyguard to protect the British Royal Family. Led initially by Major Jimmy Coats, a Coldstream Guards officer and celebrated winter sportsman, it was given the innocuous title of “The Coats Mission,” but its proposed role was perhaps the most important assigned to any unit in the British armed forces. It was intended that this group would evacuate King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and the two princesses, Margaret and her sister Elizabeth, to a place of safety away from London.For the next two years it trained and prepared for the role in the face of what was believed to be a very real threat, and this study, drawing on previously unseen documents, interviews and archival material, provides its history and explains how the Royal Family’s protection was viewed. Beginning with the prewar shelter preparations for the Royal Households and running through the increased anxiety of the 1940 invasion threat and Blitz, the renewed danger in 1941 and then the progressive reduction in the special measures in the years that followed, The King’s Private Army offers the first dedicated account of a largely unknown but potentially critical element of the defense of the United Kingdom during the Second World War.“Superb.” —Books Monthly
The King's Return: (Thomas Hill 3) (Thomas Hill Novels #3)
by Andrew SwanstonThe king’s coronation brings hope. Until a murderer strikes.Spring 1661: After years of civil war followed by Oliver Cromwell's joyless rule as Lord Protector, England awaits the coronation of King Charles II. The mood in London is one of relief and hope for a better future. But when two respectable gentlemen are found in a foul lane with their throats cut, it becomes apparent that England’s enemies are using the newly re-established post office for their own ends. There are traitors at work and plans to overthrow the king. Another war is possible. Thomas Hill, in London visiting friends, is approached by the king’s security advisor and asked to take charge of deciphering coded letters intercepted by the post office. As the body count rises and the killer starts preying on women, the action draws closer to Thomas – and his loved ones. He finds himself dragged into the hunt for the traitors and the murderer, but will he find them before it’s too late?
The King's Rifle: A Novel
by Biyi BandeleIt's winter 1944 and the Second World War is entering its most crucial state. A few months ago fourteen-year-old Ali Banana was a blacksmith's apprentice in his rural hometown in West Africa; now he's trekking through the Burmese jungle. Led by the unforgettably charismatic Sergeant Damisa, the unit has been given orders to go behind enemy lines and wreak havoc. But Japanese snipers lurk behind every tree—and even if the unit manages to escape, infection and disease lie in wait. Homesick and weary, the men of D-Section Thunder Brigade refuse to give up. Taut and immediate, The King's Rifle is the first novel to depict the experiences of black African soldiers in the Second World War. This is a story of real life battles, of the men who made the legend of the Chindits, the unconventional, quick-strike division of the British Army in India. Brilliantly executed, this vividly realized account details the madness, sacrifice, and dark humor of that war's most vicious battleground. It is also the moving story of a boy trying to live long enough to become a man.
The Kingdom of Liars: A Novel (The Legacy of the Mercenary King #1)
by Nick MartellIn this &“excellent fantasy debut, with engaging world-building and a good mix between action and character&” (Brandon Sanderson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Stormlight Archive series), a story of secrets, rebellion, and murder are shattering the Hollows, where magic costs memory to use, and only the son of the kingdom&’s despised traitor holds the truth. Michael is branded a traitor as a child because of the murder of the king&’s nine-year-old son, by his father David Kingman. Ten years later on Michael lives a hardscrabble life, with his sister Gwen, performing crimes with his friends against minor royals in a weak attempt at striking back at the world that rejects him and his family. In a world where memory is the coin that pays for magic, Michael knows something is there in the hot white emptiness of his mind. So when the opportunity arrives to get folded back into court, via the most politically dangerous member of the kingdom&’s royal council, Michael takes it, desperate to find a way back to his past. He discovers a royal family that is spiraling into a self-serving dictatorship as gun-wielding rebels clash magically trained militia. What the truth holds is a set of shocking revelations that will completely change the Hollows, if Michael and his friends and family can survive long enough to see it. In a &“symphony of loyalty, greed, family, and betrayal&” (Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Tempests and Slaughter) this spellbinding novel &“creates a solid foundation for (hopefully) a much longer narrative to come&” (Kirkus Reviews).
The Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons: The Wars of King Alfred 865–899
by Paul HillIn this compelling military and political history of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom, Paul Hill explores England’s birth amidst the devastation and fury of the Danish invasions of the ninth century. He provides insight into the English response to the new challenges of warfare in these years of turbulence and danger. Alfred the Great, youngest son of King Æthelwulf, took control of the last surviving Anglo-Saxon kingdom, bringing Wessex and the ‘English’ parts of Mercia together into a new ‘Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons’. This is a story of betrayal and of vengeance, of turncoat oath-breakers and loyal commanders, of battles fought and won against the odds. But above all, this is the story of how England came into being. Warfare in Alfred’s England changed from attritional set-piece battles to a grander strategic concern. This is explored, demonstrating how defense-in-depth fortification networks were built across the resurgent kingdom in the wake of Alfred’s victory at Edington in 878. The arrival of new Danish armies into England in the 890s would lead to campaigns quite unlike those of the Great Heathen Army of the previous generation. This is a human, as well as a military story: how a king demonstrated his right to rule was important. Alfred sought to secure the succession on his son Edward, who led his own forces as a young man in the 890s. But not everybody was happy in Alfred’s England. Despite the ever-present threat from the Danes, the greatest challenge facing Alfred arose from his own kin, centred deep in the heart of ancient Wessex. Alfred knew very well that his was not the only branch of the family who claimed a right to rule.
The Kingdom of this World: A Novel (FSG Classics)
by Alejo CarpentierA few years after its liberation from harsh French colonial rule in 1803, Haiti endured a period of great brutality under the reign of King Henri Christophe, who was born a slave but rose to become the first black king in the Western Hemisphere. <p><p> In this unnerving novel from one of Cuba’s most celebrated authors, Henri Christophe’s oppressive rule is observed through the eyes of the elderly slave Ti Noël, who suffers abuse from masters both white and black. As he ranges across the country searching for true liberation, Ti Noël navigates bloody revolutions, maniacal rulers with false visions of grandeur, and the mysterious power of voodoo magic. First published in English translation in 1957, this book is now widely recognized as a masterpiece of Cuban and Caribbean literature. Pablo Medina’s remarkable new translation renders the dreamlike prose of Alejo Carpentier with nuance and felicity while delivering anew a powerful novel about the birth of modern Haiti. <p><p> Visionary and singularly twisted, this book emerges from the depths of the struggle for a country into a tale of race, erotomania, magic, and madness.
The Kinship of Secrets
by Eugenia Kim"A gorgeous achievement.&”—Min Jin Lee, author of Pachinko From the author of The Calligrapher&’s Daughter comes the riveting story of two sisters, one raised in the United States, the other in South Korea, and the family that bound them together even as the Korean War kept them apart. In 1948 Najin and Calvin Cho, with their young daughter Miran, travel from South Korea to the United States in search of new opportunities. Wary of the challenges they know will face them, Najin and Calvin make the difficult decision to leave their infant daughter, Inja, behind with their extended family; soon, they hope, they will return to her. But then war breaks out in Korea, and there is no end in sight to the separation. Miran grows up in prosperous American suburbia, under the shadow of the daughter left behind, as Inja grapples in her war-torn land with ties to a family she doesn&’t remember. Najin and Calvin desperately seek a reunion with Inja, but are the bonds of love strong enough to reconnect their family over distance, time, and war? And as deep family secrets are revealed, will everything they long for be upended? Told through the alternating perspectives of the distanced sisters, and inspired by a true story, The Kinship of Secrets explores the cruelty of war, the power of hope, and what it means to be a sister.
The Kissing Garden: an intriguing, romantic bestseller set in the English countryside after World War One
by Charlotte BinghamThis cosy, captivating and dreamy love story with a magical twist by million-copy and Sunday Times bestselling author Charlotte Bingham, is the perfect escapist read. A must read for fans of Louise Douglas, Dinah Jeffries and Kristin Hannah.'Extremely popular...her books sell and sell' -- Daily Mail'A perfect escapist cocktail for summertime romantics' -- MAIL ON SUNDAY'I could not put it down' -- ***** Reader review'Fiction at its best' -- ***** Reader review'A magical tale' -- ***** Reader review'I have to say curled up by a log fire under a duvet is the best time to read this!' -- ***** Reader review'I was totally captivated' -- ***** Reader review********************************************************************PEOPLE CHANGE BUT CAN LOVE SPRING ETERNAL?As children, George Dashwood and Amelia Dennison loved to roam the Sussex Downs in company with their dogs, and just as their two very different families were friends, so too were they.Years later, as the storm clouds of war gather, George realizes that what he feels for Amelia is more than friendship. But it is 1914 and the declaration of war cuts across any romantic plans that the two might have.George is away at the Front for four years, and when the miracle happens and he returns home safely, it seems to Amelia and to both of their families that all they have to do is to marry. But Amelia quickly realizes that the George she loved as a child has gone...Will a trip to the West Country and the discovery of an old, ruined priory be what they need to find the love and happiness they both know is buried deep?
The Kissing Sailor
by George Galdorisi Lawrence VerriaOn August 14, 1945, Alfred Eisenstaedt took a picture of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square, minutes after they heard of Japan's surrender to the United States. Two weeks later LIFE magazine published that image. It became one of the most famous WWII photographs in history (and the most celebrated photograph ever published in the world's dominant photo-journal), a cherished reminder of what it felt like for the war to finally be over. Everyone who saw the picture wanted to know more about the nurse and sailor, but Eisenstaedt had no information and a search for the mysterious couple's identity took on a dimension of its own. In 1979 Eisenstaedt thought he had found the long lost nurse. And as far as almost everyone could determine, he had. For the next thirty years Edith Shain was known as the woman in the photo of V-J DAY, 1945, TIMES SQUARE. In 1980 LIFE attempted to determine the sailor's identity. Many aging warriors stepped forward with claims, and experts weighed in to support one candidate over another. Chaos ensued.For almost two decades Lawrence Verria and George Galdorisi were intrigued by the controversy surrounding the identity of the two principals in Eisenstaedt's most famous photograph and collected evidence that began to shed light on this mystery. Unraveling years of misinformation and controversy, their findings propelled one claimant s case far ahead of the others and, at the same time, dethroned the supposed kissed nurse when another candidate's claim proved more credible. With this book, the authors solve the 67-year-old mystery by providing irrefutable proof to identify the couple in Eisenstaedt's photo. It is the first time the whole truth behind the celebrated picture has been revealed.The authors also bring to light the couple's and the photographer's brushes with death that nearly prevented their famous spontaneous Times Square meeting in the first place. The sailor, part of Bull Halsey's famous task force, survived the deadly typhoon that took the lives of hundreds of other sailors. The nurse, an Austrian Jew who lost her mother and father in the Holocaust, barely managed to escape to the United States. Eisenstaedt, a World War I German soldier, was nearly killed at Flanders.
The Kitchen Front: A Novel
by Jennifer RyanFrom the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies&’ Choir comes an unforgettable novel of a BBC-sponsored wartime cooking competition and the four women who enter for a chance to better their lives.NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY GOOD HOUSEKEEPING • &“This story had me so hooked, I literally couldn&’t put it down.&”—NPRTwo years into World War II, Britain is feeling her losses: The Nazis have won battles, the Blitz has destroyed cities, and U-boats have cut off the supply of food. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing, a BBC radio program called The Kitchen Front is holding a cooking contest—and the grand prize is a job as the program&’s first-ever female co-host. For four very different women, winning the competition would present a crucial chance to change their lives. For a young widow, it&’s a chance to pay off her husband&’s debts and keep a roof over her children&’s heads. For a kitchen maid, it&’s a chance to leave servitude and find freedom. For a lady of the manor, it&’s a chance to escape her wealthy husband&’s increasingly hostile behavior. And for a trained chef, it&’s a chance to challenge the men at the top of her profession. These four women are giving the competition their all—even if that sometimes means bending the rules. But with so much at stake, will the contest that aims to bring the community together only serve to break it apart?
The Kitchener Enigma: The Life and Death of Lord Kitchener of Khartoum, 1850-1916
by Trevor RoyleIn this critically acclaimed biography, now fully updated, Royle revises Kitchener’s latter-day image as a stern taskmaster, the ultimate war lord, to reveal a caring man capable of displaying great loyalty and love to those close to him. New light is thrown on his Irish childhood, his years in the Middle East as a biblical archaeologist, his attachment to the Arab cause and on the infamous struggle with Lord Curzon over control of the army in India. In particular, Royle reassesses Kitchener’s role in the Great War, presenting his phenomenally successful recruitment campaign – ‘Your Country Needs You’ – as a major contribution to the Allied victory and rehabilitating him as a brilliant strategist who understood the importance of fighting the war on multiple fronts.
The Klingon Dictionary: The Official Guide to Klingon Words and Phrases (Star Trek)
by Marc OkrandThe official guide to Klingon/English words and phrases!The classic comprehensive Star Trek sourcebook for Klingon language and syntax! The only book of its kind, this dictionary includes the fundamental grammar rules, words, and expressions that illustrate the nature of the complex Klingon culture as well as: *A precise pronunciation guide *Commands in Clipped Klingon *Proper use of affixes and suffixes *Conjunctions, exclamations, and superlatives *Simple and complex sentence structure PLUS: a small phrasebook with Klingon translations for essential expressions such as "Activate the transport beam," "Always trust your instincts," and the ever-popular "Surrender or die!" Qapla&’!
The Klingon Gambit (Star Trek: The Original Series #3)
by Robert E. VardemanTHE KLINGONS ARE HUNGRY FOR WAR...THEIR TARGET: THE ENTERPRISE! When Captain Kirk and his crew are ordered to Alnath 11 to challenge the deadliest Klingon starship Terror, they're ready for anything -- or so they think. But the defenseless Vulcan crew of a Federation science ship has been wiped out. The remaining members of the Alnath II mission have discovered a fabulous ancient city -- but their report doesn't make sense. The Klingon battle cruiser has the Enterprise in its sights, and is ready to destroy it. But Captain Kirk can't seem to make decisions. Spock has started to throw temper tantrums. And Chekov has disobeyed vital orders. The crew of the Enterprise are losing their minds...one by one...all victims of... THE KLINGON GAMBIT
The Klingon Hamlet (Star Trek)
by Lawrence SchoenFor too long, readers throughout the Federation have been exposed to The Tragedy of Khamlet, Son of the Emperor of Qo'nos, that classic work of Klingon literature, only through inadequate and misleading English translations. Now at last, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Klingon Language Institute, this powerful drama by the legendary Klingon playwright, Wil'yam Shex'pir, can be appreciated in the elegance and glory of its original tongue. This invaluable volume contains the complete text of the play, along with an English translation for easy consultation and comparison. In addition, an incisive introduction explains the play's crucial importance in Klingon culture, while copious notes illustrate how the debased English version diverges from the original, often distorting and even reversing the actual meaning of the verses. Khamlet, the Restored Klingon Version, is a work that belongs in the library of every human who hopes truly to understand what it means to be Klingon.
The Klipfish Code
by Mary CasanovaThe year is 1942, and Norway is under Nazi occupation. Twelve-year-old Marit has decided to take action, despite her grandfather's warnings. But will her plan work? Can she really complete her part of this secret code? And even if she can, would it make any difference to the Resistance? <P><P>As this novel reveals what Norwegian people did to preserve their dignity and freedoms, it uncovers a startling statistic: the German secret police systematically rounded up one teacher in ten and sent them to concentration camps for their refusal to teach Nazi propaganda to Norwegian schoolchildren. Set on an island of sturdy fishing trawlers and brightly painted homes, with smells of kelp and salt water, here is a riveting novel about risks taken, secrets kept, and, always, questions about whom to trust.
The Klondike Fever: The Life And Death Of The Last Great Gold Rush
by Pierre Berton"Absolutely first-rate."--The New YorkerThis thrilling story is at once first-rate history and first-rate entertainment. Incredible events occurred in North America after a decrepit steamboat docked at Seattle in 1897 containing two tons of pure gold. So frenzied was the clash for gold and so scant was information about conditions in the Klondike that the rush for riches became a kind of fabulous madness. The entire tale--of which Pierre Berton's account is the definitive telling--has an epic ring (legends were lived and fortunes were won) as much because of its splendid folly as because of its color and motion."The definitive account of an affair as wildly improbable as any in North American history."--Saturday Review"A lively saga of the great gold rush. It is the most complete and most authentic on the subject in English."--The New York Times Book Review
The Knife
by Ross RitchellA powerful, dark, and morally provocative debut novel about a U.S. Special Forces unit operating in the Middle East, written by a former soldier--No Easy Day meets Redeployment...It's hot and getting hotter this summer in Afghanipakiraqistan--the preferred name for the ambiguous stretch of the world where the U.S. Special Forces operate with little outside attention. Team Leader Dutch Shaw is missing his late grandmother. She was the last link he had to civilian life, to any kind of world of innocence.But there's no time to mourn. After two helicopters in a sister squadron are shot down, Shaw and his team know that they're going to be spun up and sent back in, deep into insurgent territory, where a mysterious new organization called Al Ayeelaa has been attracting high-value targets from across the region. As Shaw and his men fight their way closer to the source, mission by mission, they begin to realize that their way may have been prepared for them in advance, and not by a welcoming host.The Knife is a debut novel of intense authenticity by a former soldier in a United States Special Operations Command direct-action team. As scenes of horseshoes and horseplay cut to dim Ambien-soaked trips in helicopters and beyond, Ritchell's story takes us deep beneath the testosterone-laced patter into the lonelier, more ambivalent world of military life in the Middle East. The result is a fast-paced journey into darkness; a quintessential novel of the American wars of the twenty-first century.
The Knife
by Ross RitchellA powerful, dark, and morally provocative debut novel about a U.S. Special Forces unit operating in the Middle East, written by a former soldier--No Easy Day meets Redeployment... It's hot and getting hotter this summer in Afghanipakiraqistan--the preferred name for the ambiguous stretch of the world where the U.S. Special Forces operate with little outside attention. Team Leader Dutch Shaw is missing his late grandmother. She was the last link he had to civilian life, to any kind of world of innocence. But there's no time to mourn. After two helicopters in a sister squadron are shot down, Shaw and his team know that they're going to be spun up and sent back in, deep into insurgent territory, where a mysterious new organization called Al Ayeelaa has been attracting high-value targets from across the region. As Shaw and his men fight their way closer to the source, mission by mission, they begin to realize that their way may have been prepared for them in advance, and not by a welcoming host. The Knife is a debut novel of intense authenticity by a former soldier in a United States Special Operations Command direct-action team. As scenes of horseshoes and horseplay cut to dim Ambien-soaked trips in helicopters and beyond, Ritchell's story takes us deep beneath the testosterone-laced patter into the lonelier, more ambivalent world of military life in the Middle East. The result is a fast-paced journey into darkness; a quintessential novel of the American wars of the twenty-first century.From the Hardcover edition.
The Knife Sharpener's Bell
by Rhea TregebovWinner of the J.I. Segal 2010 Awards, Prize in English Fiction and Poetry on a Jewish Theme Shortlisted for the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards, Fiction Annette Gershon and her family try to escape the economic chaos of the Great Depression in 1930s Winnipeg by returning "home" to the Soviet Union. But there they find themselves on a runaway train of tumultuous events as Stalinist Russia plunges into the horrors of World War II. This story of remarkable breadth and extraordinary prose is the seldom-told tale of those who undertook that odyssey, of loyalty and betrayal, heroism and fear.
The Knight Who Saved England
by Richard BrooksThis is the fascinating story William Marshal who negotiated the brutal realities of medieval warfare and the conflicting demands of chivalric ideals, and who against the odds defeated the joint French and rebel forces in arguably the most important battle in midieval English history - overshadowing even Agincourt.In 1217 England was facing her darkest hour, with foreign troops pillaging the country and defeat close at hand. But, at the battle of Lincoln, the seventy-year-old William Marshal led his men to a victory that would secure the future of his nation. Earl of Pembroke, right-hand man to three kings and regent for a fourth, Marshal was one of the most celebrated men in Europe, yet is virtually unknown today, his impact and influence largely forgotten.In this vivid account, Richard Brooks blends colorful contemporary source material with new insights to uncover the tale of this unheralded icon. He traces the rise of Marshal from penniless younger son to renowned knight, national hero and defender of the Magna Carta.
The Knight of the Immaculate: Father Maximilian Kolbe
by Fr. Jeremiah J. SmithIncludes 204 photos, plans and maps illustrating The Holocaust St. Maximilian Kolbe is famous as the saint of Auschwitz who volunteered to die of starvation and thirst in place of another prisoner. But his heroic death in 1941 in the worst of the Nazi concentration camps was only the culmination of an amazing life--for St. Maximilian was fired by the supernatural ideal of conquering for Christ through Mary all souls in the entire world--to the end of time!Full of interesting stories, this little book describes his mischievous boyhood, his youthful prophetic vision of two crowns, his dream of martyrdom, his use of modern printing technology to further Our Lady's work, his agreement with St. Therese the Little Flower, his "Cities of the Immaculata" (the one in Poland grew from 19 members to 762 and was the largest religious community in the world), his knowledge that he was fighting Satan, and his prison abuse for being a Catholic priest.
The Knight of the Swords (Gateway Essentials #408)
by Michael MoorcockThe Hand of Kwll and the Eye of Rhynn in exchange for the Heart of Airioch. There were Gods abroad in the old days. It was their whim to wipe clean the slate of history, to destroy the old races: the Vadhagh, the Nhadragh, the remnants of still more ancient peoples. Mankind, the Mabden, was their instrument. But the Gods themselves fell out, and Chaos gained the advantage over Law. Onto this stage stepped the Vadhagh Prince Corum. Driven mad for revenge by the callous slaughter of his family and race, and by his own grotesque mutilation at the hands of the Mabden, he agreed to accept, from the treacherous sorcerer Shool, the Eye of Rhynn and the Hand of Kwll in exchange for a lien on his soul. Thus armed he set out upon a personal crusade against the Sword Rulers: the Lords of Chaos and puppetmasters to Man. The first of these was the loathsome Arioch, Knight of the Swords, master of five of the fifteen planes of reality. From Arioch, Prince Corum required his heart...
The Knight's Scarred Maiden (Lovers and Legends #5)
by Nicole Locke“A beautifully written tale of loss, faith and the magic of love between a scarred maiden and the deadly mercenary she rescues. Well done!” (RT Book Reviews).As a mercenary knight, Rhain has always lived on borrowed time. Now, with a vengeful warlord pursuing him, he has come to accept his fate. But however he may meet his end, he is determined to get his men to safety. When he rescues mysterious and deeply scarred Helissent from her attackers, Rhain soon wishes he wasn’t marked for death. He can never be the man she deserves—his scandalous lineage alone dictates that—but Rhain can’t resist the temptation to show this innocent maiden how beautiful she truly is . . .
The Knights Hospitaller in the Levant, c.1070–1309
by Jonathan Riley-SmithAs one of the greatest of the military orders that were generated in the Church, the Order of the Hospital of St John was a major landowner and a significant political presence in most European states. It was also a leading player in the settlements established in the Levant in the wake of the crusades. It survives today. In this source-based and up-to-date account of its activities and internal history in the first two centuries of its existence, attention is particularly paid to the lives of the brothers and sisters who made up its membership and were professed religious. Themes in the book relate to the tension that always existed between the Hospital's roles as both a hospitaller and a military order and its performance as an institution that was at the same time a religious order and a great international corporation.
The Knights Hospitaller: A Military History of the Knights of St John
by John CarrA military history of the medieval Catholic order that arose during the Crusades in the Holy Land.The Knights of St John evolved during the Crusades from a monastic order providing hostels for Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land. The need to provide armed escorts to the pilgrims began their transformation into a Military Order. Their fervor and discipline made them an elite component of most Crusader armies and Hospitaller Knights (as they were also known) took part in most of the major engagements, including Hattin, Acre and Arsuf.After the Muslims had re-conquered the Crusader Kingdoms, the Order continued to fight from a new base, first in Rhodes and then in Malta. Taking to the sea, the Hospitallers became one of the major naval powers in the Mediterranean, defending Christian shipping from the Barbary Pirates (and increasingly turning to piracy themselves as funding from their estates in Europe dried up). They provided a crucial bulwark against Islamic expansion in the Mediterranean, obstinately resisting a massive siege of Malta by the Ottoman Turks in 1565. The Order remained a significant power in the Mediterranean until their defeat by Napoleon in 1798.Praise for The Knights Hospitaller“John's book gives us a rare insight into the monastic order that gave birth to the Knights Hospitaller, charting their history and exploits from their formation to the Napoleonic wars at the end of the eighteenth century. History doesn’t get any better than this.” —Books Monthly“In the process of telling this story, Carr also gives us an overview of military practice and trends in the Mediterranean world from the Crusades through the age of Revolution. This is a good read for anyone unfamiliar with the knights.” —New York Military Affairs“A deftly written, impressively comprehensive history that is thoroughly “reader friendly” in organization and presentation.” —Midwest Book Review