The Enemy at the Gate: Habsburgs, Ottomans and the Battle for Europe - Couverture souple

Wheatcroft, Andrew

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1844137414 ISBN 13 : 9781844137411

Editeur : Pimlico, 2009

A propos du livre

Quatrième de couverture :

'This book gives a fine account of the siege itself... thoughtful and thought-provoking, as well as being a crackingly good story.' Sunday Telegraph

In 1683, two empires - the Ottoman, based in Constantinople, and the Habsburg dynasty in Vienna - came face to face in the culmination of a 250-year power struggle: the Great Siege of Vienna. Within the city walls the choice of resistance over surrender to the largest army ever assembled by the Turks created an all-or-nothing scenario: every last survivor would be enslaved or ruthlessly slaughtered. The Turks had set their sights on taking Vienna, the city they had long called 'The Golden Apple' since their first siege of the city in 1529 but both sides remained resolute, sustained by hatred of their age-old enemy, certain that their victory would be won by the grace of God.

Eastern invaders had always threatened the West: Huns, Mongols, Goths, Visigoths, Vandals and many others. The Western fears of the East were vivid and powerful and, in their eyes, the Turks always appeared as the sole aggressors. In Andrew Wheatcroft's extraordinary new book he shows that this belief is a grievous over-simplification: during the 400 year-struggle for domination the West took the offensive just as often as the East.

Today, modern Turkey is seeking to re-orient itself towards Europe but a new generation of politicians are exploiting the residual fears and tensions between East and West to hamper this change. The Enemy at the Gate provides a timely and masterful account of tis most complex and epic of conflicts.

'The Enemy at the Gate brilliantly reconstructs the climactic conflict between Muslim "East" and Christian "West"' Independent

'Andrew Wheatcroft sets out here to re-create this crucial encounter and to dispel a few myths about the West's image of the Turk. He excavates European diplomatic diaries and trawls through all the Habsburg propaganda that elevated the ferocious janissary regiment to mythic status...his account of the siege itself is fascinating.' Sunday Times

'In describing the military efforts of the Ottomans and Habsburgs alike the book is at its best. Wheatcroft convincingly shows that despite all contemporary talk of Ottoman corruption, the Ottoman army was a powerful enemy...the motives, strategic decisions and reactions of the commanders on both sides are well explained' Times Higher Educational Supplement

Présentation de l'éditeur :

In 1683, two empires - the Ottoman, based in Constantinople, and the Habsburg dynasty in Vienna - came face to face in the culmination of a 250-year power struggle: the Great Siege of Vienna.

Within the city walls the choice of resistance over surrender to the largest army ever assembled by the Turks created an all-or-nothing scenario: every last survivor would be enslaved or ruthlessly slaughtered. The Turks had set their sights on taking Vienna, the city they had long called 'The Golden Apple' since their first siege of the city in 1529. Both sides remained resolute, sustained by hatred of their age-old enemy, certain that their victory would be won by the grace of God.

Eastern invaders had always threatened the West: Huns, Mongols, Goths, Visigoths, Vandals and many others. The Western fears of the East were vivid and powerful and, in their new eyes, the Turks always appeared the sole aggressors. Andrew Wheatcroft's extraordinary book shows that this belief is a grievous oversimplification: during the 400 year struggle for domination, the West took the offensive just as often as the East.

As modern Turkey seeks to re-orient its relationship with Europe, a new generation of politicians is exploiting the residual fears and tensions between East and West to hamper this change. The Enemy at the Gate provides a timely and masterful account of this most complex and epic of conflicts.

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Pimlico
• Date d'édition: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1844137414
• ISBN 13: 9781844137411
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 384