The work offers a chronological account of Mediterranean naval warfare during the first half of the sixteenth century, tracing campaigns mounted to suppress large-scale Muslim piracy and describing the evolution of the Papal maritime force. Organized into chapters that follow successive captains and campaigns, it combines narrative of sea actions and coastal operations with technical discussion of ship construction, artillery, naval tactics and fortification design. The author intersperses archival documents, contemporary extracts and detailed notes to illuminate operational decisions, logistical arrangements and the political frictions among Christian powers involved in anti-piracy efforts.