Agents of Empire: Knights, Corsairs, Jesuits, and Spies in the Sixteenth-Century Mediterranean World by Noel Malcolm

My well-worn copy of Agents of Empire has traveled a lot with me over the past few weeks.

Everyone who has spent time working on research projects has experienced the excitement, trials, and tribulations of falling down a literature review rabbit hole. Usually, these start in one of two ways. One way is that you start by learning a cool new fact that inspires you to check the bibliography and before you know it you have one or two dozen downloaded papers that have nothing to do with your research topic that you definitely have time to read. The other way, and perhaps more painful way, that this happens is that you come across a reference to a text that might just solve all of your problems if you could only find it. Sometimes these references are hard to find because they were cited incorrectly. Other times it’s because the text is so old that it is hard to find anyone who still has a copy. Sometimes you find the text you’re looking for only to discover that it is written in a language you are unable to read.

I was thinking about these research rabbit holes a lot while reading Agents of Empire, a book that was written because just over twenty years its author Noel Malcolm was reading a late 16th-century book that referenced a treatise by an Albanian author named Antonio Bruni. Not recognizing this name, Malcolm undertook an effort to find this text and eventually found it in the Vatican’s archives. After he had located the text at last he realized that he needed to do more than just transcribe it, he had to figure out who Antonio Bruni was. This kicked off two decades of research that took him all over the Mediterranean. What he found was not enough to reconstruct the life of Antonio Bruni, but Malcolm did succeed in creating a picture of Antonio Bruni’s extended family. A network of individuals who started as local elite in Venetian-controlled Albania and ended up scattered to the wind due to, in part, conflicts between Catholic Europe and the Ottoman Empire. Relatives of Antonio Bruni’s family found themselves in a diverse collection of roles ranging from Arch Bishop to Venetian Diplomat to spy and soldier.

The result is a glimpse at the Mediterranean during the late 16th century when nationality often mattered less than religious affiliation, the Pope still commanded armies, diplomats seemed almost certain to serve multiple masters, and family connections dominated politics. From taking part in the Battle of Lepanto to serving as an advisor to the voivod of Moldavia, members of Antonio Bruni’s family found themselves in positions of responsibility and influence everywhere they went. One of my favorite things about Agents of Empire is that throughout it Noel Malcolm addresses the limitations of the sources available to him and makes clear how much we don’t know about historical figures like these even with access to archives all over the Mediterranean.

For history buffs, this is a must-read. It’s a nice break from great man histories and grand-scale narratives that gives the reader a look at the lives of people who would not seem out of place if they were characters in Game of Thrones.

263 thoughts on “Agents of Empire: Knights, Corsairs, Jesuits, and Spies in the Sixteenth-Century Mediterranean World by Noel Malcolm”

  1. Excellent piece! Your analysis is insightful, and I found it easy to follow up with the data you provided. I value the time and energy you invested in gathering information and composing this. If you want to learn more about the subject, this is a great book to read.

    Reply

  2. Great piece! The material you supplied is really helpful, and your writing style is both interesting and easy to understand. The examples you provided from actual life were quite helpful. They served to elucidate your arguments rather effectively. Your insightful comments are really appreciated.

    Reply

  3. What a superb piece of writing! Both the thoroughness and lucidity of your analysis are much appreciated. Your data was both practical and pertinent. This is a post that I will return to at a later date. Your knowledge and insight are much appreciated.

    Reply

  4. I appreciate you taking the time to write and share this insightful piece. Your analysis is quite thorough, and I really enjoy reading your work. This article taught me a lot, and I will be using it again and again. You are doing an excellent job.

    Reply

  5. What a great story! I’m so glad you shared it. The data you supplied was both practical and simple to grasp. Your ability to simplify otherwise difficult ideas is much appreciated. Anyone interested in learning more about this subject would benefit greatly from reading this.

    Reply

  6. I found this post to be very informative and well-organized. Your detailed analysis and clear explanations make it a pleasure to read. The practical examples you included were particularly helpful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

    Reply

  7. This post is fantastic! Your clear and concise explanations make it easy to grasp even the more complex aspects of the topic. The practical examples you provided were very helpful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us.

    Reply

  9. An informative and well-written piece. The principles are easily understood and applied thanks to your thorough explanations and practical examples. Thank you for taking the time to provide such detailed information. Your time and knowledge are much appreciated.

    Reply

  10. Great article! Your insights are very valuable, and the way you presented the information made it easy to understand. I appreciate the time and effort you put into researching and writing this. It’s a great resource for anyone interested in this topic.

    Reply

  13. This post was really helpful and easy to follow. Reading your in-depth analyses and well-explained points is a delight. I found the samples you provided to be really useful. Your expertise is much appreciated.

    Reply
  45. Pingback: sildenafil de 100 mg

  53. Questa recensione è fantastica! È stato interessante vedere come lautore metta in evidenza le limitazioni delle fonti storiche e come questo renda ancora più affascinante lo studio di figure come quelle trattate nel libro. Lapproccio non convenzionale e lattenzione ai dettagli rendono la lettura coinvolgente e molto piacevole. Lanalogia con Game of Thrones è perfetta per descrivere la complessità e le interconnessioni della vita politica e sociale di quel periodo. Unopera che consiglio vivamente a chi ama la storia senza i consueti cliché.

    Reply

  59. This is such a delightful read! Who knew historical figures could be so relatable – straight out of Game of Thrones, but with slightly less dragons (probably). Love how Noel Malcolm is all like, Hey, check out these Bruni guys, but then immediately follows with, Oh, and by the way, theres *so much* we dont know! Its like historys version of a mystery novel where the author keeps saying, SPOILER ALERT: I dont actually know! Hilarious. And those comments! Everyones like, This is insightful! while clearly just enjoying the fact someone else knows obscure history. Excellent piece, truly!No, I’m not a Human

    Reply

  225. Bulk commenting service. 100,000 comments on independent websites for $100 or 1000,000 comments for $500. You can read this comment, it means my bulk sending is successful. Payment account-USDT TRC20：【TLRH8hompAphv4YJQa7Jy4xaXfbgbspEFK】。After payment, contact me via email （helloboy1979@gmail.com），tell me your nickname, email, website URL, and comment content. Bulk sending will be completed within 24 hours. I’ll give you links for each comment.Please contact us after payment is made. We do not respond to inquiries prior to payment. Let’s work with integrity for long-term cooperation.

    Reply

Leave a Reply