The Cretan War, 1645-1671
The Venetian-Ottoman Struggle in the Mediterranean
Author and Artist, Bruno Mugnai
ISBN 978-1-911628-04-0
I have always been a fan of obscure conflicts and I have to say that I was excited by this title as I had never heard of this war.The heroic efforts of the Venetians and Hapsburgs in protecting Western Civilization from the centuries-long assault by Islam has gone virtually unnoticed in the Anglosphere. Bruno Mugnia has produced a comprehensive work covering the Fifth Ottoman-Venetian War that continued from 1645 to 1671. The depth of his research is reflected in the four page long Select Bibliography (in at least three different languages, mind you). This is a product of tireless effort and true passion.
In its 276 pages Mugnai explains the overall theater and strategic situation. He then takes a close look at the strength of the opposing military forces. Navies played a crucial part in this campaign as it was fought over Crete which was positioned between the two centers of power and thus they are given a detailed examination. The next chapter covers the theater of conflict: the island of Crete, its geography, the military status of the population, the state of its fortifications and how the limited anchorages for fleets of galleys shaped strategy.
Having covered the situation and the forces the book moves on to the actions of the campaign from the initial invasion through to the final fall of Candia. The naval conflict is covered in detail, the staggering cost in blood and treasure that this campaign claimed form both sides is examined as are the opposing strategies and the battles that came from them. Venice's endless efforts at recruiting allies (who often were more concerned with advancing their own agenda than defeating the Turks) and the dual task of sending reinforcements to Crete and interdicting the Ottoman efforts to supply their besieging army are laid out in a clear manner that shows the constant balancing act that Serene Republic had to maintain.
With the naval side covered Mugnai turns the the land campaign. The island fell fairly quickly to the invading Turkish troops due to a lack of preparation and poor decisions on the part of the Venetians. The Ottomans were soon confronted with the tough nut of the fortress city of Candia. The bulldog-like tenacity of both sides in the struggle for this fortress reminded me of the Battle of Verdun, except that it continued for twenty-seven years! The condition of the fortress is considered as are the relative strengths and capabilities of the opposing armies. The episodic nature of the campaign was defined by the relative success of the navies, with each arrival of additional Ottoman forces another series of brutal assaults were undertaken to capture the fortress. Eventually the Venetians could no longer sustain the campaign and had to relinquish control of Crete to the Sublime Porte.
In physical terms this is a well-made book with substantial card covers and top quality paper inside. The text is lavishly illustrated with period art; engravings, sketches, paintings and maps which are all presented in black and white. Additionally many current photographs are included to show forts in their present state. The new maps are of better quality than is found in military texts these days but still could be improved upon. The real gems are the color illustrations by the author himself; clear, detailed and precise they suffer only from being to few in number to satisfy my thirst for exotic uniforms and troops.
Now that I have praised Bruno Mugnai's work in assembling this treasure-trove of information I once again have to take Helion & Co. to the woodshed for a whipping. The book is marred by a translation effort that could be kindly defined as haphazard. Whole paragraphs are reduced to gibberish due to simply horrid translation. This is inexcusable, a superficial proofreading would have made this instantly apparent. It is a shame that a detailed and groundbreaking work should be so badly disfigured by sheer carelessness. The poor quality made this book a real chore to read, particularly in the sections covering the sort of detail that wargamers and historians need most; organization and operations. Frankly disappointing.
Highly Recommended, even with the above warning.
The Venetian-Ottoman Struggle in the Mediterranean
Author and Artist, Bruno Mugnai
ISBN 978-1-911628-04-0
I have always been a fan of obscure conflicts and I have to say that I was excited by this title as I had never heard of this war.The heroic efforts of the Venetians and Hapsburgs in protecting Western Civilization from the centuries-long assault by Islam has gone virtually unnoticed in the Anglosphere. Bruno Mugnia has produced a comprehensive work covering the Fifth Ottoman-Venetian War that continued from 1645 to 1671. The depth of his research is reflected in the four page long Select Bibliography (in at least three different languages, mind you). This is a product of tireless effort and true passion.
In its 276 pages Mugnai explains the overall theater and strategic situation. He then takes a close look at the strength of the opposing military forces. Navies played a crucial part in this campaign as it was fought over Crete which was positioned between the two centers of power and thus they are given a detailed examination. The next chapter covers the theater of conflict: the island of Crete, its geography, the military status of the population, the state of its fortifications and how the limited anchorages for fleets of galleys shaped strategy.
Having covered the situation and the forces the book moves on to the actions of the campaign from the initial invasion through to the final fall of Candia. The naval conflict is covered in detail, the staggering cost in blood and treasure that this campaign claimed form both sides is examined as are the opposing strategies and the battles that came from them. Venice's endless efforts at recruiting allies (who often were more concerned with advancing their own agenda than defeating the Turks) and the dual task of sending reinforcements to Crete and interdicting the Ottoman efforts to supply their besieging army are laid out in a clear manner that shows the constant balancing act that Serene Republic had to maintain.
With the naval side covered Mugnai turns the the land campaign. The island fell fairly quickly to the invading Turkish troops due to a lack of preparation and poor decisions on the part of the Venetians. The Ottomans were soon confronted with the tough nut of the fortress city of Candia. The bulldog-like tenacity of both sides in the struggle for this fortress reminded me of the Battle of Verdun, except that it continued for twenty-seven years! The condition of the fortress is considered as are the relative strengths and capabilities of the opposing armies. The episodic nature of the campaign was defined by the relative success of the navies, with each arrival of additional Ottoman forces another series of brutal assaults were undertaken to capture the fortress. Eventually the Venetians could no longer sustain the campaign and had to relinquish control of Crete to the Sublime Porte.
In physical terms this is a well-made book with substantial card covers and top quality paper inside. The text is lavishly illustrated with period art; engravings, sketches, paintings and maps which are all presented in black and white. Additionally many current photographs are included to show forts in their present state. The new maps are of better quality than is found in military texts these days but still could be improved upon. The real gems are the color illustrations by the author himself; clear, detailed and precise they suffer only from being to few in number to satisfy my thirst for exotic uniforms and troops.
Now that I have praised Bruno Mugnai's work in assembling this treasure-trove of information I once again have to take Helion & Co. to the woodshed for a whipping. The book is marred by a translation effort that could be kindly defined as haphazard. Whole paragraphs are reduced to gibberish due to simply horrid translation. This is inexcusable, a superficial proofreading would have made this instantly apparent. It is a shame that a detailed and groundbreaking work should be so badly disfigured by sheer carelessness. The poor quality made this book a real chore to read, particularly in the sections covering the sort of detail that wargamers and historians need most; organization and operations. Frankly disappointing.
Highly Recommended, even with the above warning.
The publishing house is obviously a bunch of Idiots, ... or maybe morons, ... or possibly imbeciles.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame they couldn't be bothered to have an English speaking editor read and correct the text, with input from the author. On the other hand, information of this kind is most welcome. The struggles between the Ottomans and Venice and its on again, off again "Allies" for control of the Eastern Mediterranean is both epic and fascinating.
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