{"title":"Roger Crowley","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the captivating world of maritime history with the works of \u003cem\u003eRoger Crowley\u003c\/em\u003e, a distinguished author celebrated for his vivid and engaging narrative style. Specialising in historical events that unfolded over the waters of the Mediterranean and beyond, Crowley transports readers to pivotal moments that shaped the world as we know it today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDelve into \"Accursed Tower,\" where the drama of the Crusades comes to life, capturing the essence of medieval warfare and intrigue. In \"City of Fortune,\" embark on a journey through the rise and fall of Venice, a city that dominated the seas with its unrivalled naval prowess. \"Conquerors\" introduces the awe-inspiring Age of Discovery, revealing how Portugal's voyagers transformed global trade routes, while \"Constantinople\" chronicles the epic siege of 1453 that signalled the end of the Byzantine Empire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \"Empires of the Sea,\" Crowley recounts the fearsome Ottoman clashes that determined the fate of the Mediterranean in the 16th century, offering a gripping tale of courage and strategy. \"Spice\" invites readers to savour the aromatic history of the spice trade, highlighting the adventurous spirit of explorers seeking these coveted commodities across distant lands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhether you are a history enthusiast or simply love a good sea-faring adventure, the books of Roger Crowley promise an enlightening and thrilling reading experience that will leave you with a profound appreciation for the forces that shaped our world over the centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"conquerors","title":"Conquerors","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eConquerors\u003c\/em\u003e by Roger Crowley transports readers back to the Age of Discovery, chronicling the audacious and adventurous journey of Portuguese explorers during the 15th and 16th centuries. The book delves into the ambitious maritime expeditions that saw Portugal emerge as a formidable seafaring nation, pushing the boundaries of the known world. It presents an intricate narrative of how these explorers navigated uncharted waters, mastered the Atlantic winds, and paved the way for Vasco da Gama's historic voyage to India. In doing so, they outpaced the Spanish to reach the coveted spice kingdoms of the East, thus initiating the creation of the first long-range maritime empire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn an astonishing display of strategic genius and tenacity, a small yet fiercely determined group of Portuguese visionaries embarked on a thirty-year campaign to dominate the Indian Ocean. Their goal was as ambitious as it was ruthless: to dismantle Islamic influence in the region and monopolise global trade. The narrative takes readers through a succession of riveting events, including high-stakes navigation, cunning diplomacy, and fierce sea battles. The book vividly portrays the convergence of technological advancements, economic ambitions, and religious fervour that fueled these conquests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRoger Crowley excels in bringing history to life with his engaging and dynamic storytelling. \u003cem\u003eConquerors\u003c\/em\u003e is a blend of dramatic historical recount and meticulous research, filled with first-hand accounts that immerse readers in the era's turbulent exploits. We meet notable figures such as Afonso de Albuquerque, whose relentless drive made him one of the foremost empire builders of his time. Albuquerque's efforts were instrumental in establishing an Asian empire, marking a significant European presence in the region for the first time since Alexander the Great.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe book also explores the broader ramifications of these explorations, highlighting how the Portuguese feats set the stage for five centuries of European colonisation and the onset of globalisation. Through a vivid recount of endurance, bravery, and sometimes brutal strategies, \u003cem\u003eConquerors\u003c\/em\u003e captures the essence of an epoch marked by astonishing ambition and transformative historical shifts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCrowley's \u003cem\u003eConquerors\u003c\/em\u003e is not just a tale of maritime conquests; it is an epic saga that reflects the complexities of human endeavour and the indomitable spirit of exploration. It is a must-read for anyone fascinated by history, adventure, and the enduring impact of the Age of Discovery on the modern world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45706184818924,"sku":"9780571290901","price":32.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780571290901.jpg?v=1725884759"},{"product_id":"spice-by-roger-crowley-9780300281125","title":"Spice","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe story of the sixteenth-century's epic contest for the spice trade, which propelled European maritime exploration and conquest across Asia and the Pacific.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSpices drove the early modern world economy, and for Europeans, they represented riches on an unprecedented scale. Cloves and nutmeg could reach Europe only via a complex web of trade routes, and for decades Spanish and Portuguese explorers competed to find their elusive source. But when the Portuguese finally reached the spice islands of the Moluccas in 1511, they set in motion a fierce competition for control.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRoger Crowley shows how this struggle shaped the modern world. From 1511 to 1571, European powers linked up the oceans, established vast maritime empires, and gave birth to global trade, all in the attempt to control the supply of spices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTaking us on voyages from the dockyards of Seville to the vastness of the Pacific, the volcanic Spice Islands of Indonesia, the Arctic Circle, and the coasts of China, this is a narrative history rich in vivid eyewitness accounts of the adventures, shipwrecks, and sieges that formed the first colonial encounters—and remade the world economy for centuries to follow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSpice\u003c\/em\u003e is an enthralling exploration of how the pursuit of spices led to an era of exploration that transformed the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"John Wiley and Sons Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46796747276524,"sku":"9780300281125","price":27.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24808993482294.jpg?v=1757105971"},{"product_id":"spice-by-roger-crowley-9780300267471","title":"Spice","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe story of the sixteenth-century's epic contest for the spice trade, which propelled European maritime exploration and conquest across Asia and the Pacific.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSpices drove the early modern world economy, and for Europeans, they represented riches on an unprecedented scale. Cloves and nutmeg could reach Europe only via a complex web of trade routes, and for decades Spanish and Portuguese explorers competed to find their elusive source. But when the Portuguese finally reached the spice islands of the Moluccas in 1511, they set in motion a fierce competition for control.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSpice\u003c\/em\u003e by Roger Crowley shows how this struggle shaped the modern world. From 1511 to 1571, European powers linked up the oceans, established vast maritime empires, and gave birth to global trade, all in the attempt to control the supply of spices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTaking us on voyages from the dockyards of Seville to the vastness of the Pacific, the volcanic Spice Islands of Indonesia, the Arctic Circle, and the coasts of China, this is a narrative history rich in vivid eyewitness accounts of the adventures, shipwrecks, and sieges that formed the first colonial encounters—and remade the world economy for centuries to follow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46833483546860,"sku":"9780300267471","price":47.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24672453482294.jpg?v=1758463024"},{"product_id":"city-of-fortune-by-roger-crowley-9780571245956","title":"City of Fortune","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA magisterial work of gripping history, \u003cem\u003eCity of Fortune\u003c\/em\u003e tells the story of the Venetian ascent from lagoon dwellers to the greatest power in the Mediterranean—an epic five hundred year voyage that encompassed crusade and trade, plague, sea battles and colonial adventure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn Venice, the path to empire unfolded in a series of extraordinary contests—the sacking of Constantinople in 1204, the fight to the finish with Genoa and a desperate defence against the Turks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnder the lion banner of St Mark, she created an empire of ports and naval bases which funnelled the goods of the world through its wharfs. In the process, the city became the richest place on earth—a brilliant mosaic fashioned from what it bought, traded, borrowed and stole.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBased on firsthand accounts of trade and warfare, seafaring and piracy and the places where Venetians sailed and died, \u003cem\u003eCity of Fortune\u003c\/em\u003e is narrative history at its finest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46848653033708,"sku":"9780571245956","price":36.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/10135673482391.jpg?v=1758997323"},{"product_id":"constantinople-by-roger-crowley-9780571298204","title":"Constantinople","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the spring of 1453, the Ottoman Turks advanced on Constantinople in pursuit of an ancient Islamic dream: capturing the thousand-year-old capital of Christian Byzantium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the siege that followed, a small band of badly organised defenders, outnumbered ten to one, confronted the might of the Ottoman army in a bitter contest fought on land, sea and underground, and directed by two remarkable men - Sultan Mehmet II and the Emperor Constantine XI. In the fevered religious atmosphere, heightened by the first massed use of artillery bombardment, both sides feared that the end of the world was nigh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe outcome of the siege, decided in a few short hours on 29 May 1453, is one of the great set-piece moments of world history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46848794755308,"sku":"9780571298204","price":32.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/a19560f33a26352d5548f45ab2ac9fac.jpg?v=1759045550"},{"product_id":"empires-of-the-sea-by-roger-crowley-9780571298198","title":"Empires of the Sea","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEmpires of the Sea\u003c\/em\u003e presents the Mediterranean as a majestic and bloody theatre of war. Opening with the Ottoman victory in 1453, it delivers a breathtaking story of military crusading, Barbary pirates, white slavery, and the Ottoman Empire, all set against the larger picture of the struggle between Islam and Christianity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCoupled with dramatic set-piece battles, a wealth of riveting first-hand accounts, epic momentum, and a terrific denouement at Lepanto, this is a work of history at its broadest and most compelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46849049690348,"sku":"9780571298198","price":32.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/10658093482391.jpg?v=1759012845"},{"product_id":"accursed-tower-by-roger-crowley-9780300254808","title":"Accursed Tower","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe city of Acre, powerfully fortified and richly provisioned, was the last crusader stronghold. When it fell in 1291, two hundred years of Christian crusading in the Holy Land came to a bloody end. With his customary narrative brilliance and immediacy, Roger Crowley chronicles the tumultuous and violent attack on Acre, the heaviest bombardment before the age of gunpowder, which left this once great Mediterranean city a crumbling ruin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAccursed Tower\u003c\/em\u003e was the focal point of this siege. As the last garrison of the Crusader defences, it came to symbolise the disintegration of the old world and the rise of a new era of Islamic jihad. Crowley’s narrative is based on forensic research, drawing heavily on little known first hand sources, both Christian and Arabic. This is a fast-paced and gripping account of a pivotal moment in world history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000450728172,"sku":"9780300254808","price":25.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/24545823482294.jpg?v=1763278907"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/roger-crowley.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}