The Barbary Corsairs
Warfare in the Mediterranean, 1480-1580
This book was a translation of the text by Jacques Heers. It appealed to me because there is a lot in it that is obscure, but which deserves to be better known. Christian slaves, the ordeal of Cervantes, the sack at Cyprus, renegade admirals. Very colourful, and written with considerable elan by a highly regard French historian (many of his other books are worth reading, too).