Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BADGJA/?tag=dedasys-20

About the clash between the Ottoman empire and Europe for control of the "center of the world" - the Mediterranean sea, which was, until the discovery of the Americas, the place to be in terms of trade. 

Well written, and he adds a lot of detail that makes it more than just a collection of facts and dates. Venice gets mentioned a lot, and not always in the best light, although to me the fact that they were more interested in trading rather than fighting sounds mostly positive. Not for the faint of heart: there were some pretty gruesome things that both sides did to one another - I guess life was cheap and suffering abounded in those days.