Throughout the 16th century, wars raged across Europe as kings and republics jostled for wealth and power. Yet one man exceeded all these medieval princes of Christendom: Suleiman the Magnificent.
As ruler of the Ottoman Empire, he governed 25 million people from Constantinople, his realm stretching from Persia to the Atlantic Ocean.
Turning his gaze to Europe, Suleiman attacked Rhodes, the island fortress of the Knights Hospitaller but was opposed by Gabriele Tadino — an Italian who had risen through the ranks thanks to his genius as a military engineer.
This is a history of crusading knights and gunpowder, of spies and tunnels, and of a crossroads in history when the medieval age gave way to the Renaissance.
Delving deep into Italian source material, this book weaves together the story of an ordinary man alive in an extraordinary time and performing extraordinary feats of military genius.
Through the lens of his life we discover how military tactics and fortifications rapidly changed thanks to the discovery of gunpowder, and how Europe, divided by power-hungry rulers and religion, almost fell to one of the greatest rulers the world has ever seen, but was prevented by a humble engineer.
The Man Who Stopped the Sultan by Edoardo Albert is published on 29 January, 2026.
Have a look at Edoardo’s feature about Gabriele Tadino’s masterful defence of Rhodes.
See more historical publications for 2026 in our round-up of over 110 books out this year.
