As the Western Roman Empire collapsed a small band of refugees retreated into the marshy lagoon which sits at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea. Protected from the advancing barbarian hoards the city they would found there would survive as an independent, democratic commune until the coming of Napoleon Bonaparte, more than thirteen centuries later.

Bereft of land on which to base a feudal system, the Venetians became adept seamen and vociferous merchants. It was these two qualities which allowed the peoples of this small city in the lagoon to dominate the eastern Mediterranean between 1000 and 1500.

It is this story which Crowley sets out to tell and he does it masterfully. A master of pace, he drives the narrative forward and the pages turn at a decent clip. Battles come alive and you end up rooting for one side or another (normally, although not always, the Venetians).

This is not quite a history of Venice and some more context would have been welcome. The exact social and political conditions which allowed the city to flourish and, likewise, the internal politics of Genova and the Byzantium Empire and Ottoman Empires are only discussed in passing. But as a military history it is superb.

Whilst evidently admiring them, Crowley never quite manages to like the Venetians. Their mercantilism is slightly distasteful and their opportunism, such as their appalling conduct during the Fourth Crusade, is, in the long run, largely responsible for their downfall. Yet, for all that, you cannot help backing them and thinking it a bit of a shame that this once great is now but a tourist attraction at the top of the Adriatic.

Had hoped for a grand biography of the city ala Gotham or Nature's Metropolis. Instead, this is just the account of some significant military campaigns, which was a disappointment.

Very well written. If your imagination can fill in the action, the dramatic twists and turns of the changes of fortune are like a Hollywood blockbuster. An excellent page-turner history book

This is a history told with a strong narrative element that makes it very compelling and readable. It presents a strong coherent theme running through the history which makes it more engaging but which probably also makes it less objective. That is, this book is so readable because the author's primary goal was to make it a compelling story more than an impartial exposition of historical events. That doesn't mean what is here isn't true, just that it is selected with an agenda and point of view. It is true history, but it isn't the same genre as a history textbook. One way this manifests is that major elements of Venetian commerce are missing almost entirely (e.g. it's role as a center of salt and glass production).

This book is perhaps a bit long but is worth a read if you approach it for what it is

A good history of Venetian empire/military engagements/commerce.

Most of us know Venice only for it's canals. But it was actually a really important city in European history, and at one time controlled an empire. It all started when the city was able to redirect the Forth Crusade to accomplish it's own purposes on a rip-roaring, and disgraceful, adventure in Turkey. Venice was a city by merchants and for merchants, with profit as the sole goal. It's interesting to consider the parallels between the Venetian and American empires, and consider the challenges that points to for us.

This book is a great account of the Venetian empire, and it's rise and fall. Crowley does a great job handling a vast breath of material and time - giving generalizations and interesting summaries without getting bogged down in the details, while still digging deep into some of the most important and fascinating episodes. A recommended read.

Superb. Long fascinated by the rise of the city-state, this book was cinematic in its descriptions of battles, and of its friends and foes.

City of Fortune is an engaging history of the Venetian republic from 1000 to 1500. It's not easy to write about history and also tell an intriguing narrative, but Crowley manages it. Highly recommended to anyone interested in Mediterranean history.