Ebru Turan’s new book The Race for Universal Monarchy: Apocalypticism and the Ottoman-Habsburg Rivalry in the Sixteenth-Century Mediterranean looks at the Ottoman Habsburg rivalry through the lens of competing ideologies shaped by overlapping historical events. The Habsburg dynasty actively positioned themselves to be the universal monarchy of Christendom and only unity under them could the Muslims be driven back. While this is not necessarily Turan’s argument, it is clear that a shared destiny was a key way both empires saw each other. The Race For Universal Monarchy offers a comprehensive political and ideological history driving the clash of empires in the sixteenth-century. The Race for Universal Monarchy is a fun, informative and engaging read.