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Michael Greaney ties political, social and psychological factors into his riveting history of Turkish military incursions into Europe. After opening with the 11th-century's Battle of Manzikert in Anatolia, the author spends the rest of the book examining military clashes in eastern Europe and the Mediterranean during the Ottoman's zenith from 1462 to 1621.
The author's focus on the individuals who played pivotal roles in these confrontations -- emperors, sultans, popes, commanders and knights -- makes this history vivid and memorable. Military commanders could often make or break a battle or siege.
