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.