Defenders of the Faith: Charles V, Suleyman the Magnificent, and the Battle for Europe, 1520-1536

As someone who is familiar with the history of the Reformation, this book filled in a number of gaps by providing a complete look at the political situation that shaped and influenced those events. It is incredibly well written by avoiding bogging down the reader with mindless details that don't add to the story. I have recommended this to all of my friends.

James Reston, Jr. takes this very complex material and brings it to life. This is a totally engrossing book. It helped me to understand this period of history in a way I had not before. I cannot say enough about how well this is done. Reston introduces the characters and presents their actions and motivations at a pace the reader can understand. He brings the battles, the politics and the pageantry to life. Reston, undoubtedly, had many decisions along the way, what to put in and what to leave out. He strikes and excellent balance. I highly recommend this book. I, for sure, will be reading more Reston.

Defenders of the Faith: Charles V, Suleyman the Magnificent, and the Battle for Europe, 1520 - 1536 by James Reston is a wonderful and very informative examination of the times of Charles V, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and Suleyman the Manificent leader of the Ottoman Turks during the years 1520 to 1536. Suleyman inherited an empire that included much of the eastern Mediterranean. Like his father and grandfather before him, his attention was drawn to the subjugation of Hungary and Austria and their annexation into the Ottoman Empire. Had he been successful in his attack on Vienna it most certain that European history would be significantly different than what actually occurred. Charles V likewise inherited an empire comprising much of northern Europe. It is interesting that at the exact time Suleyman gained the throne of the Ottoman Empire, an equally talented Charles V was named the head of the Holy Roman Empire. Two diverse but capable leaders pitted against one another in a head on collision that defined the world that came later. James Reston is superb at examining the struggle that resulted from the two cultures. I have to agree with other reviewers that criticize Reston for his "novelization" of the story he tells. It is distracting and happens throughout the book. That being said, Reston is a master researcher. That is evident by the details he manages to include as he examines the period and the background to the events. That he spends a great deal of time explaining the ins and outs of the reformation is to be understood. The reformation distracted not just Charles V but also all of the European kings and so tainted the relationships of the major heads of state that they ignored the growing threat to the east. I must also add that Reston is very good at keeping the reader from getting confused as he discusses the strategic battles. Given the almost complete lack of tactical maps, Reston's talent for tactical description is a very big plus. As a companion to Defenders of the Faith, I would recommend Empires of the Sea by Roger Crowley. Though Empires of the Sea deals with the conflict between the Ottoman Empire and Christian Europe a generation later, it provides further insight into how the two sides conducted warfare, both offensive and defensive. For further reading on the battle for Europe during this period, read Enemy at the Gate: Hapsburgs, Ottomans and the Battle for Europe by Andrew Wheatcroft. I continue to be fascinated by this period of history. It is not irrelevant given the geo/political environment we find ourselves in today. I highly recommend.

I've read Reston's other books on Muslim - Christian conflicts and history, and this one is especially timely because it explains what happened in Vienna that prevented Suleyman from conquering Europe. Reston explains in a video interview (which I found online) that if Suleyman had succeeded, that not only Europe but America might well have been Islamic, which, given the current political focus of the US, is fascinating. He's a great writer, which is pretty much a requirement if you're going to be covering history that is 500 years old. I recommend this for people who are interested in better understanding the deep and long history of the religious conflict that still shapes our current US foreign policy in important ways.

This book is excellent. It describes in great detail the little known but incredibly infleuntial showdown between the Habsburgs and the Ottoman Empire. A conflict that raged all along the Mediterranean coasts of Spain, Italy, and North Africa, to the very heart of Europe at the city of Vienna. The fact that the Turk was thrown back from the walls of Vienna has been seen as a decisive turning point in the history of the World. This book is fascinating and easily readable, and it is a perfect compliment to Roger Crowley's "Empire's of the Sea."