Focusing on seven decisive naval engagements from the Greek defeat of the Persians at Salamis in the fifth century BC to the Siege of Malta during the Second World War, this book tells the story of the Mediterranean as a theater of war at sea.

Dr Quentin Russell is a historian, writer and producer. His TV documentary, An Exile in Paradise: The Adventures of Edward Lear in Greece and Albania, won the New York Festival's Arts Silver Medal in 2009 and was broadcast internationally. He holds a PhD in 19th Century Anglo-Greek relations and his essays have appeared in various prestigious publications such as British Art Journal.