Salus Vienna tua: The great siege of 1683

A splendid book thisSalus Vienna Tua, from the orginal work of British historian Henry Elliot Malden thet provides a detailed account of the intricate machinations between the Habsburgs and the Ottomans. Malden's description of the siege itself is masterly and always a fresh reading. Very clearly are the detail of the negotiations among the Christian princes and charting the march of the various armies. He seems to know every inch of ground, every earthwork and fortification around the Imperial City, and he follows the action meticulously. Very enriched by several wonderful colour plates of Allies and Turkish soldiers and a lot of other images. The failure of the Turkish army to take Vienna in 1683 marks the beginning of the long decline of the Ottoman state but it was a close-run affair. Kara Mustafa's janissaries laid siege to the Austrian imperial capital while allied horsemen ravaged the surrounding countryside. Leopold III and his court had fled leaving the rescue of Vienna to Charles, Duke of Lorraine and John Sobieski of Poland. Another good issue, a fine story teller of our series witness to history. This book is based onVienna 1683 The History And Consequences Of The Defeat Of The Turks Before Vienna, September 12, 1683 By John Sobieski, King Of Poland And Charles Leopold, Duke Of LorraineBy Henry Elliot Malden London Regan Paul, Trexcii & Co, 1, Paternoster Square 1883.