ScanderbegThis is the first biography of the Albanian national hero Scanderbeg (1403-1468) published in England for more than four hundred years. The son of a prince of Albania, he was educated in the Muslim faith as a hostage at the court of Sultan Murad II and given the title "bey and an army command. In 1443 Scanderbeg escaped to his homeland, abjured Islam, and formed a league of princes among the Albanian chieftains. He proclaimed himself Prince of Albania. To resist the Ottomans under Sultan Muhammad II, Scanderbeg received aid at various times from Venice, Naples, Hungary, and the pope. Written by the late Harry Hodgkinson, a former naval intelligence officer who served under Ian Fleming, this engrossing and elegantly crafted book is an attempt to bring the reader closer to this famous historical figure and to set him in the dramatic context of Albania and its history. I.B.Tauris in association with the Centre for Albanian Studies |
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accept Adrianople Adriatic Albanian Alfonso alliance allies Anjou artillery attack Balaban Balkans Balsha Barletius battle began Berat blood Bosnia brother Byzantine Byzantium camp campaign captured Castrioti cavalry century chieftains Christian Church command conquered conqueror Constantinople Crusade Dagno David Abulafia death defeat defend Despot Dibra ducats Dukagjini Durazzo Elbasan Emperor enemy Europe Fan Noli Ferrante fighting forces fortress frontier garrison Gjergj Castrioti Gjon Castrioti Greek Hamza hero Hilandar honour Hungarians Hungary Illyrians imperial Italian Italy killed King Kruja land leader Lezhë Macedonia Mehmet Mehmet II military Moses mountains Murad Murad II Musachi Muslim Naples Neapolitan offer Orsini Ottoman empire peace Petrela Pius plain Pope possession prepared princes prisoners Ragusa Renaissance Roman Rome ruler Scanderbeg Scutari sent Serbian Serbs siege soldiers story Sultan Svetigrad territory Thopia took town tribal truce Turkish army Turks Venetians Venice victory Vrana walls