When the heavily manned fleet of the Ottoman Empire met the ships of a fragile coalition of Christian European states in 1571 the waters off the coast of Greece they say “ran red with blood.” It was a victory of the West-the first major victory of Europeans against the Ottoman Empire. In this compelling piece of narrative history Niccolò Capponi describes the underlying clash of cultures and takes a fresh look at the bloody struggle between oared fighting galleys and determined men of faith. As a description of the age-old conflict between Christianity and Islam it is a story which resonates today.