this is an excellent history book describing the period of time from the late 1400's to mid-1500's when the battles between the muslim Ottoman Empire and the Christian Europe raged across the Med from Turkey to Gibraltar. the book is a stark reminder that the conflicts we are living through today are but an echo of centuries of war on a scale that dwarfs anything but the modern World Wars. tens of thousands of men and hundreds of ships were marshalled to take or protect keys bases in the Med, culminating (in the book) in the massive naval battle of Lepanto when the Christian fleet destroyed the Ottomans and stalled the muslim advance. the book is also interesting as it deals with the issues of dynastic succession in both the European Kingdoms and the Ottoman Empire. we also get to see the impact of the Lutheran Reformation on the coherency of the European response to the Ottomans, with the international politics of Europe always playing a role in how each muslim threat was met. this was a very quick read for a history book, well written and fast paced. very interesting for any history buffs, especially if you find naval battles interesting.