The Shield and the Sword

Few historians immersed themselves in their topics like bestselling, noted author Ernle Bradford. Specializing in the Mediterranean world and naval topics, Bradford was an enthusiastic sailor himself and spent almost thirty years sailing the Mediterranean, where many of his acclaimed books are set. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, finishing as the first lieutenant of a destroyer, and afterward worked as an editor and correspondent for the BBC.
Now, his engaging series of military histories is available to a new generation of readers. Bradford brings you the storied history of the Knights of St. John—defenders of the poor and sick. Starting with the founding of the Knights during the crusades, Bradford follows the Order for centuries as they move around the world, surviving being uprooted from Jerusalem, Rhodes, and Malta. The military prowess of the order culminates in the stirring victory over the Turks depicted in the bestselling The Great Siege. But after two hundred years, internal corruption contributes to the Knights’ loss of Malta to Napoleon. But even from those ashes, the Knights rise once again.

Ernle Bradford was born in 1922 and died in 1986. He was a noted British historian specializing in the Mediterranean world and naval topics. Bradford was an enthusiastic sailor himself and spent almost thirty years sailing the Mediterranean, where many of his books are set. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, finishing as the first lieutenant of a destroyer. Bradford lived in Malta for a number of years. He did occasional broadcast work for the BBC, was a magazine editor, and wrote many books, including Hannibal, Paul the Traveller, Julius Caesar: The Pursuit of Power, Christopher Columbus, and The Mighty Hood.