The Order Of St John Of Jerusalem And Picturesque Places Of Interest In Malta And Gozo

Presenting: The Order of St John of Jerusalem and Picturesque Places of Interest in Malta and Gozo (1969, Empire Press) by Hannibal P… scicluna—no, let’s give the man his capitals: Hannibal P. Scicluna, Malta’s patron saint of footnotes and formidable charm. ISBN: none (because some books are too dignified for numbers). Condition: Good, which, in venerable bookseller argot, means it has survived sun, sea-breeze, and several inquisitive holidays without losing its sense of occasion.

This is your armchair passage to limestone glamour: the Knights Hospitaller in their best capes, cannon politely pointed at history, and every street corner in Valletta striking a pose like it’s been waiting for a watercolourist since 1566. Scicluna does that wonderfully Maltese thing—mixes grand crusader lore with the pragmatic directions of a local who knows where the good stairs are. Expect familiars and flourishes: auberges with doors the size of diplomatic incidents, bastions arranged like folded origami, and a coastline so baroquely crenellated it must have been designed by a committee with a compass fetish.

From the outside: a well-travelled Empire Press paperback with honest shelf wear—the kind of gentle scuffing that says “I have been to Gozo and back” even if, strictly speaking, it’s only made it as far as your aunt’s conservatory. Pages show that tasteful, honey-coloured tan you only get from Maltese sunshine (or, more prosaically, 1960s paper stock). The spine? Firm enough to hold the fort, supple enough to open flat on a café table while you debate the relative merits of Mdina at golden hour.

Inside: Scicluna serves you a cultured itinerary with a side of heraldry—Grand Masters parade through the prose, chapels appear right where you need a sigh, and every “picturesque place” is introduced with the discreet confidence of a concierge who knows a keyholder. One minute you’re learning why a particular bastion has opinions about the Ottoman navy, the next you’re gazing at a cove that insists on being described as “azure” even if you promised yourself you wouldn’t be that person. It’s part history, part guide, part love letter written on creamy paper with a fountain pen that cost too much and was worth every lira.

Why this copy? Because Crappy Old Books specialises in the paradox: decidedly un-crappy volumes with lived-in charisma. Our Good means: clean text, binding still gallant, a few courteous signs of prior admiration. Think “well-dressed traveller” rather than “airport novelty.” It won’t out-gloss a coffee-table blockbuster, but it will out-class it at dinner.

Ideal for:

• The armchair crusader who prefers their sieges annotated and their vistas captioned.

• Lovers of baroque façades, courteous masonry, and streets that curve like a whispered secret.

• Anyone who suspects the phrase “picturesque places” is a promise, not a category.

In short: it’s a sun-warmed stroll through Malta and Gozo with a gentleman scholar who knows where the shadows fall and which balcony has opinions. The Order of St John… gives you knights, nooks, niches, and nice views—in that order—and does it with a wink. Brought to you by Crappy Old Books, where the name is self-deprecation, the stock is quietly splendid, and the only crusade is against dull reading.

Keep browsing: See more History books Other books by Hannibal P scicluna