Ten Battles Every Catholic Should Know

The aim of this book is to tell the story of the struggle between the
Ottoman Turks and the forces of Christendom. Covering the centuries-long
war against militant Islam—as personified by the Grand Turk—from the
Dreadful Day of Manzikert in 1071, climaxing in the battle of Lepanto in
1571 half a millennium later, to the beginning of the final decline with the
siege of Khotim in 1622, Ten Battles Every Catholic Should Know presents
key battles that marked turning points. Less well known than the struggle to
retake Spain and Southern France, the battlefields of Armenia and eastern
and central Europe were just as crucial to preserve Christendom.
There is the battle of Manzikert, which marked the beginning of thefight, and the real Dracula, Vlad III of Wallachia, who carried out a
personal crusade against the Turks to such good effect that his name strikes
terror down to the present day. The battle of Mohács, “the Tomb of
Hungary,” is related, as is the siege of Vienna in 1529, the first setback
experienced by Süleymân the Magnificent, perhaps the greatest ruler the
Ottoman Turks ever knew.
Perhaps of greatest interest is the buildup to the climactic Great Siege ofMalta and the battle of Lepanto; the siege of Szigetvár (the “Hungarian
Alamo”), and those of Nicosia and Famagusta on the island of Cyprus, the
heroism of which inspired the soldiers and sailors at Lepanto. The accounts
of battles are enlivened and expanded with historical footnotes and
introductions explaining important and interesting details