Victory of the West The Great Christian-Muslim Clash at the Battle of Lepanto

When the heavily manned fleet of the Ottoman Empire met the ships of a fragile coalition of Christian European states in 1571, the waters off the coast of Greece, they say, "ran red with blood." It was a victory of the West-the first major victory of Europeans against the Ottoman Empire. In this compelling piece of narrative history, Niccolo Capponi describes the underlying clash of cultures and takes a fresh look at the bloody struggle between oared fighting galleys and determined men of faith. As a description of the age-old conflict between Christianity and Islam, it is a story which resonates today.

Niccolò Capponi is an eminent military and Renaissance historian. He is a former fellow at the Medici Archive Project, and curator of the Capponi Archive. He lives in Florence, Italy.