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Ironfire A Novel of the Knights of Malta and the Last Battle of the Crusades David Ball Books

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Ironfire A Novel of the Knights of Malta and the Last Battle of the Crusades David Ball Books

This is a historical novel telling the story of the 16th century conflicts in the Mediterranean between the forces of Christianity, particularly the Knights of St. John on the island of Malta, and the forces of Islam and the Ottoman Empire. The story primarily focuses on three characters, a brother and sister from Malta and a French knight, and follows them as their lives are intertwined with historical events and personages. Their stories are passionate and well structured. They are, I think, believable and interesting characters and the story comes to a rousing climax. It's a fun book.

You might like it if you like historical novels like Gai-Jin or Post Captain. I also read The Enemy at the Gate which is straight history of the siege of Vienna. Needless to say, Ironfire was more fun!

I thought some of the comments were strange because they suggested that there was a lot of sex in the book but there wasn't. I honestly don't know what they're talking about. Its not that nothing like that ever happens but I wouldn't say it's really that steamy on the whole and it's never very explicit at all.


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Ironfire A Novel of the Knights of Malta and the Last Battle of the Crusades David Ball Books Reviews

So many times, I thought I could predict the course that this plot would take. So many times, the writer defied my expectations. I loved this book. The entire time I read it, I felt removed to a world that I have studied about a great deal. My studies never transported me to it quite like the faces and places of Ironfire.
living in Malta, I know well the background history facts about the grand siege and it was wonderful to relive the amazing events during the time of period.
Very well written book and the author managed to mix fiction with facts.
Following the lives of a French nobleman and of two Maltese pheasants that are separated as children, the story incorporates actual places, events, and historical figures from the 16th century into a sequence of events that lead to the Siege of Malta. No detail seems to be missed and the pace never slows. Fascinating and highly recommended.
Although a large book that starts off a bit slowly, soon you will find yourself immersed in the intricacies of the novel. I read this book prior to going to Malta and had little understanding of the great battle. This gave me the history from all sides and let me understand the true character of the war. In addition, it didn't paint any side as "good" or "bad", this work shows the complexity of all the sides and how vagaries can determine the course of history. A definite must for anyone interested in medieval history, Mediterranean history, or historical fiction set around the crusades. I was sorry that the work had to finally end.
IRONFIRE took David Ball three years to write and is quite a creative and research achievement. It's an entertaining way to learn some of the history of the long-standing Christian-Muslim or East-West conflict, which we have inherited today. A 667-page epic, IRONFIRE is crammed with incident about a Maltese brother and sister and their separation as children when Muslim sea raiders capture Nicoloas Borg and carry him away into slavery. What happens to Nico and his sister Maria up to and through the siege of Malta by the Ottoman Turks consitutes the main thread of the story with many fascinating minor and not-so-minor other characters thrown into the pot. Normally, I do not like stories about children but the adventures of these two siblings are adult enough (as one might expect in cruel times) to keep things interesting. Mr. Ball's writing is at its best when he is narrating action and describing scenes. There is a journey in the hold of a pirate galley that is worth the price of the book. Such scenes are the fruit of Mr. Ball's obviously thorough research. He is on less sure ground when it comes to dialogue between his characters, especially between men and women. His writing in that regard gets a bit melodramatic and soap-operaish and just doesn't ring quite true to my ear. Unless you just like that kind of juvenile romanticism, you can quickly scan over those passages and enjoy the rest of the ride of this historical adventure. And what a ride it is! We are taken from Malta to Algiers to Istanbul to France and back to Malta. We live in palaces, castles, hovels, caves, dungeons and on board ship. We fight battles on the sea between Christian and Muslim galleys rowed by slaves and endure a terrible, summer-long siege of Malta that cost the Muslims thirty thousand dead and the Christians seven thousand. The siege of Malta was the last battle of the Crusades. Let's hope IRONFIRE is not Mr. Ball's last book.
For fans of huge sweeping historical adventures look no further. This book is very well written has a fascinating and diverse cast of characters and is a total page turner. I lost my first copy of this book (lent it to somebody which with a book is as good as giving it away) and have always wanted to re-read it. When I thought of there it was, I'm thrilled and if you want an exciting, gripping read this is the perfect page turner.

My wife who is very critical on the subject of historical drama also loved this one.
I planned a trip to visit Malta and wanted to read something about the history of this fascinating country. Found this gem through a search on . I wasn't expecting much. David Ball didn't seem a known author, but it was the closest to what I was looking for.

His writing blew me away. This book is a page turner. As some others have said, you truly care for the characters and want the story to go on and on, whilst learning lots and lots of valuable details about Malta's history and the Order of Knights. This was specially exciting as I could visit many places mentioned in the book. The author, David Ball, made a great work with his descriptions of the places, customs and specific problems of the era (16th century). You can almost feel the dust coming from the construction sites and the heat, hearing the busting workers and sea men coming from sea.

If you like Malta, historic novels and good writing, then this is a remarkable book for you!
This is a historical novel telling the story of the 16th century conflicts in the Mediterranean between the forces of Christianity, particularly the Knights of St. John on the island of Malta, and the forces of Islam and the Ottoman Empire. The story primarily focuses on three characters, a brother and sister from Malta and a French knight, and follows them as their lives are intertwined with historical events and personages. Their stories are passionate and well structured. They are, I think, believable and interesting characters and the story comes to a rousing climax. It's a fun book.

You might like it if you like historical novels like Gai-Jin or Post Captain. I also read The Enemy at the Gate which is straight history of the siege of Vienna. Needless to say, Ironfire was more fun!

I thought some of the comments were strange because they suggested that there was a lot of sex in the book but there wasn't. I honestly don't know what they're talking about. Its not that nothing like that ever happens but I wouldn't say it's really that steamy on the whole and it's never very explicit at all.