Malta. Whispered in dimly lit stone corridors, faintly echoing; said simply; or read, silently: the word suggests volumes. Tales of valor come to mind. And tales of war. Tales of victory, treachery, intrigue, defeat, mystery. Knights in armor man stalwart ramparts that rise up from the roiling sea, as armies crash upon the shore. Fiery corsairs and great admirals pass through its deep harbors. Duels are fought. Outrages committed, glories achieved. If we listen closely, we hear the names of princes commingled with that of ...
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Malta. Whispered in dimly lit stone corridors, faintly echoing; said simply; or read, silently: the word suggests volumes. Tales of valor come to mind. And tales of war. Tales of victory, treachery, intrigue, defeat, mystery. Knights in armor man stalwart ramparts that rise up from the roiling sea, as armies crash upon the shore. Fiery corsairs and great admirals pass through its deep harbors. Duels are fought. Outrages committed, glories achieved. If we listen closely, we hear the names of princes commingled with that of Malta; and the names of kings; popes; emperors; and grand masters of the valiant Order of the Knights of St. John. Suleiman the Magnificent and his general Mustapha Pasha are forever held at bay, though their arms be mighty and their will ferocious. Centuries pass. Napoleon steps upon its rocky ground, is bowed to.... At once firmly lodged in the events of history and in the present lives of its people, Malta encompasses yet a greater sphere: it lives within our imaginations, within our minds-- if hidden just beneath the surface, beneath a mottled and dull layer of tarnish, waiting for the polish of our author's hand. This volume, written by Shirley Jackewicz Johnston and illustrated with lavish full color photography by the late Marquess Anthony Cassar de Sain, is an excursion into this sphere. With a soft yet powerful cloth of deliberate and painstaking research, Johnston reveals the glowing embroilment of bishops and grand masters-- one vies to build a fabulous palace reaching towards the heavens, as another seeks to prevent it, an obstruction to his view and an implied infringement on his authority. Indeed, from a consideration of its architecture, of what wasbuilt "and" of what was not built, much of the collective spirit, will, imagination, and history of Malta can be gleaned. We should note, however: "This is not a history book," as the author tells us, "but history is firmly rooted in just about everything in Malta, including its remarkable architecture." Here, Shirley Jackewicz Johnston takes us into this extraordinary architecture and into the equally extraordinary lives of those who brought it into being-- the Knights of the Order of St. John. Here we are given an intimate glimpse of the Grandmaster's Palace-- a sumptuous residence by any standard, housing one of the world's greatest armories and a collection of priceless works of art; we are taken through Fort St. Angelo, once a critical bastion against the Ottoman onslaught; into the Bishop's Palace, with its lush orange groves, planted, by Bishop Cagliares himself, back in 1622; and we are shown grandeur and beauty, in St. John's Church-- designed by Gerolamo Cassar. In fact, much that we are shown might be called grand and beautiful, but such words can hardly, fully, express what is on offer to our eyes. Indeed, between these covers, we find...the "Splendor of Malta."
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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Very Good in Very Good dust jacket. 0847822869. Text clean and tight; NOTE: additional postage may be necessary for international shipping; 8vo 8"-9" tall; 228 pages.
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Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover.
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VG/VG-light wear to dj edges. Black cloth boards with red spine lettering, bw-photographic end papers. Glossy color-illustrated dust jacket with red and white lettering. 228 pp. Mainly color illustrations. Maps. "...At once firmly lodged in the events of history and in the present lives of its people, Malta encompasses yet a greater sphere: it lives within our imaginations, within our minds--if hidden just beneath the surface, beneath a mottled and dull layer of tarnish, waiting for the polish of our author's hand. This volume, written by Shirley Jackewicz Johnston and illustrated with lavish full color photography by the late Marquess Anthony Cassar de Sain, is an excursion into this sphere. With a soft yet powerful cloth of deliberate and painstaking research, Johnston reveals the glowing embroilment of bishops and grand masters--one vies to build a fabulous palace reaching towards the heavens, as another seeks to prevent it, an obstruction to his view and an implied infringement on his authority. Indeed, from a consideration of its architecture, of what was built and of what was not built, much of the collective spirit, will, imagination, and history of Malta can be gleaned. We should note, however: "This is not a history book, " as the author tells us, "but history is firmly rooted in just about everything in Malta, including its remarkable architecture."-Jacket.
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Used-Good. Malta. Whispered in dimly lit stone corridors, faintly echoing; said simply; or read, silently: the word suggests volumes. Tales of valor come to mind. And tales of war. Tales of victory, treachery, intrigue, defeat, mystery. Knights in armor man stalwart ramparts that rise up from the roiling sea, as armies crash upon the shore. Fiery corsairs and great admirals pass through its deep harbors. Duels are fought. Outrages committed, glories achieved. If we listen closely, we hear the names of princes commingled with that of Malta; and the names of kings; popes; emperors; and grand masters of the valiant Order of the Knights of St. John. Suleiman the Magnificent and his general Mustapha Pasha are forever held at bay, though their arms be mighty and their will ferocious. Centuries pass. Napoleon steps upon its rocky ground, is bowed to....At once firmly lodged in the events of history and in the present lives of its people, Malta encompasses yet a greater sphere: it lives within our imaginations, within our minds--if hidden just beneath the surface, beneath a mottled and dull layer of tarnish, waiting for the polish of our author's hand. This volume, written by Shirley Jackewicz Johnston and illustrated with lavish full color photography by the late Marquess Anthony Cassar de Sain, is an excursion into this sphere. With a soft yet powerful cloth of deliberate and painstaking research, Johnston reveals the glowing embroilment of bishops and grand masters--one vies to build a fabulous palace reaching towards the heavens, as another seeks to prevent it, an obstruction to his view and an implied infringement on his authority. Indeed, from a consideration of its architecture, of what wasbuilt 'and' of what was not built, much of the collective spirit, will, imagination, and history of Malta can be gleaned. We should note, however: 'This is not a history book, ' as the author tells us, 'but history is firmly rooted in just about everything in Malta, including its remarkable architecture. ' Here, Shirley Jackewicz Johnston takes us into this extraordinary architecture and into the equally extraordinary lives of those who brought it into being--the Knights of the Order of St. John. Here we are given an intimate glimpse of the Grandmaster's Palace--a sumptuous residence by any standard, housing one of the world's greatest armories and a collection of priceless works of art; we are taken through Fort St. Angelo, once a critical bastion against the Ottoman onslaught; into the Bishop's Palace, with its lush orange groves, planted, by Bishop Cagliares himself, back in 1622; and we are shown grandeur and beauty, in St. John's Church--designed by Gerolamo Cassar. In fact, much that we are shown might be called grand and beautiful, but such words can hardly, fully, express what is on offer to our eyes. Indeed, between these covers, we find...the 'Splendor of Malta. ' Malta is one of the most beautiful and undiscovered places in the world. Actually three islands, this jewel of the Mediterranean was transformed by the Knights of St. John in the sixteenth century into a fantasy of splendid Renaissance and Baroque palaces, opulent villas and gardens, and private estates and magnificent churches filled with priceless art. This lavish all color book presents Malta in all of its spectacular glory, showing the palaces of the grand master, the inquisitor, and the bishop, and the equally majestic auberges (knights' quarters). The world-renowned hospital and the monumental forts and bastions are featured as well. Intertwined amidst this panoramic grandeur is a detailed and informative history of the knights' migrations from the holy land, to Rhodes, and finally to Malta, and the long wars they waged with the Ottoman Turks. Wrapped in Brodart dust jacket protector. Slight scratching/scuffing on dust jacket.
