“Resistance to the Ottoman conquests in early modern Europe was waged not only with weapons but also on an intellectual front. The process of the ‘European discovery of Islam’ produced a vast body of anti-Turkish literature. One of the understudied works in this body is “Memoirs of My Times” by Ludovicus Cerva Tubero, a Benedictine monk from Ragusa/Dubrovnik (early 16th century). Adopting a unique approach, Piotr Tafiłowski wrote commentaries on those sections of the work where Tubero deals with Turkish issues. In the course of his fascinating investigation, the sources and narrative style of Tubero, as well as the manifestations of his sympathy and contempt for the Turks are revealed one by one. Tafiłowski’s work comes highly recommended to anyone interested in how social communication occurred on the border between two civilizations in early modern Europe.” 

—Pál Fodor, Professor Emeritus, ELTE Research Centre for the Humanities 

Piotr Tafiłowski is Professor in the Faculty of Journalism, Information, and Book Studies at the University of Warsaw, Poland. His research focuses on social and scholarly communication, the history of information, and media history.

Foreword

• Purpose of the work
• Anti-Turkish literature in Dubrovnik
• Structure of the Work
• Terminological Notes

Chapter One: Second Ottoman-Venetian War (1499-1503)

• Sultan Djem
• Second Ottoman-Venetian War (Aegean War)
• Preparations
• The Beginning of Warfare
• The First Battle of Lepanto
• Venice Defeats on Land and Sea
• Recapture of Kefalonia
• Venetian-Hungarian Alliance
• The Capture of Modon
• The Final Phase of the War
• Scanderbeg
• Cessation of Hostilities and a Truce
• The Extraordinary Conversion of a Danishmend

Chapter Two: The Civil War

• Heirs and Pretenders to the Throne
• Şehzade Selim
• Dethroning Bayezid. The Pew Padishah
• A Plan to Assassinate Padishah Selim
• The Final Showdown with the Brothers

Chapter Three: Wars in the Middle East

• War Against the Safavids
• Alaudevlet Bey
• Peace Treaties with Hungary and Poland
• Sultanate of Egypt
• Mameluke's Assumption of Power in Egypt
• The Conquest of Syria and Egypt
• Sinan Pasha
• The End of Selim's Reign
• The Unsuccessful Expedition Against the Joannites of Rhodes. The Death of Selim and His Characteristics

Chapter Four: The Ottoman-Hungarian Wars

• The Constant Threat from the Ottoman Empire
• Battle on Krbavsko Polje
• Episode 1: Can a Turk Be a Man of Honor?
• Episode 2: Defending the Small Castle
• Further Ottoman-Hungarian Hostilities
• John Zápolya's Campaign
• Suleiman the Magnificent and the Capture of Belgrade
• Episode 3: The Attack on Jajce
• Episode 4: A Failed Attempt to Steal Cattle
• The Capture of Belgrade
• George Dózsa Uprising
• Episode 5: Jelena Berislavić

Conclusion

• The Characters in Tuberon’s Memoires
• Readings and Sources of Information
• Narration Style

Bibliography

Index