City of Fortune: How Venice Ruled the Seas
Roger Crowley
May 2013 · Recorded Books · Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini
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14 hr 10 min
Unabridged
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The New York Times bestselling author of Empires of the Sea charts Venice’s astounding five-hundred-year voyage to the pinnacle of power in an epic story that stands unrivaled for drama, intrigue, and sheer opulent majesty. City of Fortune traces the full arc of the Venetian imperial saga, from the ill-fated Fourth Crusade, which culminates in the sacking of Constantinople in 1204, to the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1499–1503, which sees the Ottoman Turks supplant the Venetians as the preeminent naval power in the Mediterranean. In between are three centuries of Venetian maritime dominance, during which a tiny city of “lagoon dwellers” grow into the richest place on earth. Drawing on firsthand accounts of pitched sea battles, skillful negotiations, and diplomatic maneuvers, Crowley paints a vivid picture of this avaricious, enterprising people and the bountiful lands that came under their dominion. From the opening of the spice routes to the clash between Christianity and Islam, Venice played a leading role in the defining conflicts of its time—the reverberations of which are still being felt today.
“The rise and fall of Venice’s empire is an irresistible story and [Roger] Crowley, with his rousing descriptive gifts and scholarly attention to detail, is its perfect chronicler.”—Financial Times
“The rise and fall of Venice’s empire is an irresistible story and [Roger] Crowley, with his rousing descriptive gifts and scholarly attention to detail, is its perfect chronicler.”—Financial Times
The New York Times bestselling author of Empires of the Sea charts Venice’s astounding five-hundred-year voyage to the pinnacle of power in an epic story that stands unrivaled for drama, intrigue, and sheer opulent majesty. City of Fortune traces the full arc of the Venetian imperial saga, from t...
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Ratings and reviews
2 reviews
Tristan C
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February 17, 2018
Roger Crowley, along with David McCullough, are the best of the historical non-fiction writers. His history of Venice was captivating and should be required reading in school. I highly recommend to anyone interested in history, or even if you're just looking for a good story. The tale of the fourth crusade presented in the beginning of this book is especially good. It's certainly a movie waiting to happen.
Ethan Sanchez
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October 5, 2023
One of the best reads ive had in a while.
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