{"product_id":"the-shield-and-the-sword-paperback","title":"The Shield and the Sword - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eErnle Bradford\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn authoritative history of the Knights of St. John, from Jerusalem to Malta, told by the bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Great Siege.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Known by many names through their centuries-long career, The Knights Hospitaller of Saint John dedicated themselves to defending the poor and sick. First formed in Jerusalem during the Crusades of the eleventh century, the Order of Saint John grew in wealth and power rivaled only by the Knights Templar. They survived exile from the Holy Land, settling first in Rhodes and then in Malta, which they famously defended against the Ottoman Empire's epic invasion of 1565. Even after losing Malta to Napoleon Bonaparte two centuries later, the Order of Saint John continued its mission. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Ernle Bradford, whose bestselling book \u003ci\u003eThe Great Siege\u003c\/i\u003e recounts their historic battle for Malta, follows the Knights of Saint John through centuries of war, politics, rivalry, and perseverance in \u003ci\u003eThe Shield and the Sword\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eErnle 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 \u003ci\u003eHannibal\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePaul the Traveller\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eJulius Caesar: The Pursuit of Power\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eChristopher Columbus\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Mighty Hood.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 272\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.61 x 8.5 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 19, 2014\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51760643768608,"sku":"9781497637962","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/64b3b7daf2f5efbd422dc8113fbee4fc.webp?v=1780185659","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-shield-and-the-sword-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}