Buck Sexton's Battle of Lepanto study guide

Buck Sexton has dedicated an entire episode of his program to The Battle of Lepanto, a pivotal naval engagement that took place some 443 years ago today, Oct. 7, 1571.

The battle, somewhat of a precursor to the Battle of Vienna in 1683, pitted the fledgling Christian Holy League -- a coalition of southern European Catholic states -- against the formidable Islamic Ottoman Empire. The two forces, the Holy League led by Don John of Austria, and the Ottoman Turks led by Ali Pasha, met off Greece in the Gulf of Patras.

Sinking of an Ottoman vessel by Pieter Brünniche. (Image Source: Wikipedia)

In the ensuing battle, the Holy League would handily defeat the Ottoman Turks, turning back the tide against Islamic expansion along the European side of the Mediterranean, and marking the first major Ottoman naval defeat since the fifteenth century.

The engagement would prove to be one of the crucial battles in the Ottoman-Habsburg Wars, and the history of Christian versus Islamic battles more broadly.

For your reference, below are the texts Buck used to compile the research for his show.

1. Confrontation at Lepanto: Christendom vs. Islam by T. C. F. Hopkins

2. Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World by Roger Crowley

3. The Galleys at Lepanto by Jack Beeching

4. The Great Siege: Malta 1565 by Ernle Bradford

5. Victory of the West: The Great Christian-Muslim Clash at the Battle of Lepanto by Niccolo Capponi

Update: Below is the audio from Buck's Battle of Lepanto radio special.

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