One of the most riveting parts of Spanish history is that of the invasion of Ottoman Turks in Constantinople and the battle that saved Europe and Italy from the impending Turkish Islamic domination. The story began on April 6, 1453, when the Ottoman Army, controlled by Sultan Mehmed II, decided to take on the Great Roman Empire. Sadly, the Ottoman Army won- for the moment, at least.

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At the time of the attack, Constantinople was surrounded by great walls that had protected the Christian population. Unfortunately, the Ottoman Turks in Constantinople had greater numbers and cannons that were powerful enough to defeat that wall. On May 29, 1453, Constantinople was completely overpowered by the Ottoman Army.

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Though it took some time, that defeat was reversed in the Battle of Lepanto 1571. Pope Pius V had organized European Catholic states into what is known as the Holy League. These states included the Kingdoms of Sardinia and Sicily, the Republic of Genoa, Tuscany, the Republic of Venice, and several others.

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On October 7, 1571, a fleet of the Holy League decided to win back the land from the Turks. Swiftly, before any internal issues could come about, the fleet attacked the Ottoman naval forces. The Turks were in no way prepared for this attack, leaving a quick and large victory to the Holy League. During the Battle of Lepanto 1571, the Holy League was able to set over 12,000 captured Christians free while the Ottomans lost more than 20,000 people and most of their naval fleet that was involved in the battle.

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While surprise was definitely on the Holy League’s side, it is also highly likely that this huge Ottoman loss was due in large part to their military practice of forcing their captives to serve in the navy. Those Christian captives wanted to be rescued, so it would not be a surprise if they intentionally failed to fight effectively. Why would they fight to protect the same men who held them captive when their own people were there to save them?

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The Battle of Lepanto 1571 has held a piece of my heart captive as well. My book The Spear of Lepanto is based on the battle and the outstanding adventure it was. With this battle playing such a large role in Spanish history, it is only fair to tell the story again and again.

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The Spear of Lepanto is an epic tale full of historical information, romance, adventure, mystery, and more. No matter your favorite genre, The Spear of Lepanto is known to capture the interest of all readers. For a glimpse of this adventure, you can view the captivating book trailer and music video. It is accompanied by The Ballad of the Spear of Lepanto- beautiful music written by Don Trotta.

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If you love The Spear of Lepanto and The Ballad of the Spear of Lepanto- which you will, of course- you must engross yourself in my screenplay adaptation The Forgotten Adventures of Miguel de Cervantes. This screenplay and script turned into a labor of love that I am happy to share. For those interested, I will gladly send you a copy of the screenplay and script at no cost to you.