The Great Siege of Malta – Research Assistant

My current research project is a book on the Great Siege of Malta (to be published by Penguin). The book will not only, or mainly, be a narrative of events; it will also examine the nature of the evidence at our disposal, in particular with a view to understanding how the sources grant us access to the lived experiences of the historical actors caught up in the events. The research assistant will make an important contribution to this project by working through an edited collection of letters that passed between the king of Spain, his viceroy in Sicily, the Grand Master of the Knights of St John, and others before, during and after the siege. I am not looking for translations of the letters. Research assistant will summarize the contents of each document, making a note of content, points of emphasis and target language, and situating the document in relation to those already read. Must have good Spanish, the language of the letters. Someone with experience or an interest in historical method and research would be suited to this undertaking; so too would someone whose interests lie in literary analysis and close textual reading. Past exposure to sixteenth-century European history is not required. a) Resume including classes taken thus far and major/minor(s) + Letter of application including: b) Statement of any previous experience either in research, historical study, or literary study c) Statement of facility in language(s), and to what level