Description
The galley squadron of the Order of St John was a small but highly efficient fighting force that struck terror among all enemies of Christendom. The galley itself, powered by sail and by human force, was a superlative fighting machine that was the culmination of two thousand years of naval technology.
The galleys of the Order of St John were moored at the Birgu waterfront, where the Maritime Museum today stands. There they were kept in a state of constance readiness and a whole array of trades necessary to keep them in fighting trim developed in the arsenal. Joseph Muscat’s study of the Maltese galley is an authorative account of the achievements of the galley squadron. It explains the technical aspects connected with the building of a galley and the complex organisation that lay behind the unrivalled successes the squadron enjoyed.
Joseph Muscat is a maritime historian who has specialized in the naval activities of the Order of St John. His wrtings have appeared in numerous local and foreign publications.
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