The Sea-Kings of the Mediterranean by George Fyler Townsend

The Sea-Kings of the Mediterranean chronicles the history of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta—more commonly known as the Order of Saint John or the Knights of Malta in the modern era. The book covers the period from their founding in A.D. 1099 as a charitable order called the Knights Hospitaller, tasked with caring for sick pilgrims in Jerusalem, through their centuries of patrolling the Mediterranean against Muslim piracy and aggression, until the end of their military aspect during the Napoleonic Wars of the 19th century.

The story of the Sea-Kings is an often ignored but crucial part of Western history. The author, Reverend George Fyler Townsend, most famous as the translator of the standard English edition of Aesop’s Fables (1867), published The Sea-Kings in 1872 specifically because he felt that young men of his era were neglecting an important part of their history, a part of their history that is full of “fiery courage, bold exploits, and brilliant achievements.” And if they were neglecting it then, how much worse are things now, in the 21st century, when most people probably never heard of the Hospitallers?