An exhilarating narrative history of the Mediterranean from Ancient Egypt to 1919, by the bestselling author of "The Popes" and "Sicily: A Short History". The Mediterranean has nurtured three of the most brilliant civilizations of antiquity, has witnessed the development of three of our greatest religions, and connects three of the six continents of the world. John Julius Norwich has visited every country around its shores and now tells the story of the Mediterranean - a story that begins with the Pharaohs and ends with the Treaty of Versailles - in a dramatic narrative of the remarkable civilizations that rose and fell in the lands of the Mediterranean.

With excellent research and imaginative execution, Norwich guides us through the Arab conquests of Syria and North Africa, the Roman Empire and the Crusades, Ferdinand and Isabella and the Inquisition, the great sieges of Rhodes and Malta by Suleiman the Magnificent, the North African pirates and the Battle of Lepanto, Nelson and Napoleon, the Greek War of Independence and the Italian Risorgimento.

The Mediterranean is a colorful, character-driven history in its most enjoyable form and represents the culmination of John Julius Norwich's distinguished career as one of the greatest enthusiasts of retrospective historical narrative. ‘A finely tuned, exhilarating read... a landmark in popular historiography... a brilliant achievement for its unforgettable scope and vibrancy... This wonderfully thrilling history reveals our favorite holiday destination in all its glorious, epic depth’.

Pages: 720, Dimensions: 13x13cm