History's bloodiest siege used human heads as cannonballs (Siege of Malta in 1565 against Muslims)

UK Daily Mail ^ | 7/7/07 | James Jackson

[SunkenCiv]

I wuz jokin’.

[madison10]

Gideon: My favorite Old Testament personage. If I’d had a boy child...THAT would have been his name.

[flaglady47]

“I wuz jokin’.”

Oops, went right past me. However, my “trick” works well when one runs into unreadable maps or cartoons, etc., so maybe my putting it out there will be useful to someone, someday, sometime, somewhere, somehow,.......

[SunkenCiv]

It’s worth knowing.

[SunkenCiv]

Almost the entire garrison commanded by Jean Parisot de Valette - after whom the city of Valletta is named - had perished.

The operative word is "almost". Malta was saved.

[GOPJ]

Look at a cultures heroes to understand...

[GOPJ]

“We are in a new phase of a very old war.”

Very old war...

[The Mayor]

Bump

[Salamander]

And they're not overfond of this dude, either:

[Pelham]

Apparently the Knights didn’t get Dubya’s ‘religion of peace’ memo.

[wafflehouse]

great post!

[Ptarmigan]

Interesting article.

[Pelham]

Don’t hold your breath. There’s too many things of which he has proven clueless and unwilling to learn.

[dasboot]

Past is prologue...old war...new battle.

Who are, and where are, the remnant of virtuous knighthood...200 years beyond usefulness..in century 21 ???

[dasboot]

Ah! Camp Pendleton!

[Rastus]

Check out post 29. I swear he looks like Gibson with a beard.

[miliantnutcase]

ping

[Jimmy Valentine]

"It's heavy,Sam." "What is it?"

It's the stuff....that dreams are made of."

[EdArt]

The picture you posted is correct. Nice painting. They were dressed in black with white crosses

[EdArt]

The origins of the flag ( I am not questioning it) you have shown are from the Knights Teutonic, a German Military Order from the Crusades. The Knights of Malta started as the Knights Hospitalier, French Military Order. The Knights Hospitalier who for the most part conducted themselves in the true spirit of what the Crusaders where supposed to be about. The word hospital comes from them. Their desendents are known in the USA as the Knights of ST John. An amazing history.
Thge Knights Templar had a very “mixed” conduct during the Crusades and where deeply distrusted by the Rulers of France. They acquired great wealth for their Order.